FORT HOOD, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – The U.S. Army has determined December 3, 2026, as the date to carry out the execution of former Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The sentence will be carried out by firing squad at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle confirmed these details, including the location and method, in an official memorandum. Hasan was sentenced to death for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, which resulted in 13 fatalities and 32 injuries at the Texas military base.
President Donald Trump authorized Hasan’s execution by firing squad following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under military law, the president’s approval is required for executing a service member. This scheduled execution ends a 65-year hiatus in U.S. military executions, the last occurring in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Private John Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder under military law.
At the time of the attack on November 5, 2009, Hasan served as an Army psychiatrist. He opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where troops prepared for deployment. The assault resulted in the deaths of twelve active-duty personnel and one retired soldier. In 2013, a military panel convicted Hasan on 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The court-martial also mandated his dismissal from service and the forfeiture of military pay and allowances.
Legal challenges over years lead to execution decision
Hasan spent more than ten years appealing through the military justice system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld his convictions and death sentence in March 2024. Following this, he sought review from the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined his petition on March 31, 2025. This effectively affirmed the military court’s ruling and ended his chance for further review by the highest court in the country.
The Army will execute the sentence at Fort Hood, the site of the original shooting. Hasan was shot by police during the incident, leaving him partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair since. During his court-martial, Hasan admitted to the shooting, stating he aimed to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. His admission is part of the official court record.
Firing squad execution signifies a rare military occurrence
The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since April 13, 1961. Military death sentences go through multiple mandatory review stages before an execution, and Hasan’s case advanced through these appellate levels before President Trump approved the firing squad method. The Army has now officially scheduled the execution after extensive legal review. If carried out, this would be the first military firing squad in decades.
Hasan’s execution remains scheduled for December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. The details regarding the method, location, and date have been finalized following years of legal proceedings stemming from the 2009 shooting. The Supreme Court declined to review the case further in 2025. The upcoming firing squad execution would mark the first U.S. military execution in more than sixty years.