A man who carried out a mass shooting at Fort Hood almost 20 years ago is now set to be executed by firing squad, following an order from President Donald Trump.
Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, was found guilty of the November 2009 attack that left 13 dead and at least 30 injured near Killeen, Texas. He received the death sentence during a court-martial in 2013.
In court, Hasan indicated that his motive for the attack was to prevent further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, claiming he wanted to protect his fellow Muslims.
On Monday, the president sanctioned the U.S. Army’s recommendation for execution by firing squad as per the suggestion of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, according to a statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell.
Parnell stated, “The Secretary of the Army will determine the timing and location of the execution. Judgment day for Hasan has finally arrived,” in a social media post on Monday.
Hegseth referred to the decision as “justice,” while Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis remarked on it being a fitting punishment for a terrorist.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the Army has not conducted a death penalty execution in 65 years.
During his attack, Hasan shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” while using a laser-sighted handgun, specifically targeting military personnel. The rampage concluded when Fort Hood civilian police Sergeant Mark Todd shot Hasan, paralyzing him from the waist down.
If even one juror had voted against it, Hasan could have avoided the death penalty and instead received a life sentence. However, the jury opted unanimously for execution.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, expressed support for the execution in a statement, calling Hasan a radical Islamist terrorist responsible for killing and injuring numerous Americans. He emphasized that Hasan deserves death for his actions and praised Trump and Hegseth for their decision.
The Fort Hood incident was considered the worst terror attack in the United States since 9/11 until the San Bernardino shooting in 2015, which resulted in 14 deaths.
Currently, Hasan is one of four individuals on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
This decision comes amid a broader national debate regarding capital punishment, particularly after a poorly executed lethal injection in Tennessee raised concerns about the death penalty.
