Pentagon Seeks Execution Approval for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan
The Pentagon is gearing up to request President Donald Trump’s approval for the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army Major who was convicted for a deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, according to Department of Defense officials.
If this motion is approved, it would mark the first military execution in the U.S. in over six decades. Hasan, who was serving as an Army psychiatrist, was responsible for killing 13 people and injuring another 32 during the attack.
On that fateful day, Hasan entered the Fort Hood Soldiers Preparation Center armed with semi-automatic weapons and opened fire on soldiers getting ready for deployment.
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During his trial, Hasan confessed to the shooting and claimed that he felt it was necessary to protect the “Islamic Empire” from U.S. military actions. The Pentagon labeled the incident as “workplace violence,” a classification that has faced extensive criticism from lawmakers, families of the victims, and national security experts. They argue that this term undermines the ideological and terrorist roots of his actions.
In 2013, Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death by a military judge.
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Currently, Hasan remains on death row at the U.S. disciplinary barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After several years of appeals, Hasan’s last legal effort was dismissed in April 2025, which has paved the way for his execution.
“I am fully committed to making sure the death penalty is pursued against Nidal Hasan,” said War Director Pete Hegses. “This terrorist deserves the harshest punishment for the tragic events at Fort Hood in 2009. The victims and their families deserve justice without further delay.”
Notably, Hasan is one of four individuals currently facing the death penalty under military jurisdiction.
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The Secretary of the Army has already expressed support for the execution, and the War Department has outlined its intentions.
Born to Palestinian immigrant parents in Arlington, Virginia, Hasan served in the Army for nearly two decades before adopting radical Islamic beliefs. By the time he was assigned to Fort Hood in 2009, he was vocal about his opposition to U.S. military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, even justifying suicide bombings as a valid form of warfare.
