Trump approves firing squad for Fort Hood mass shooter

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former US Army officer convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood massacre in Texas that left 13 dead and 32 wounded. The execution, if carried out, will be conducted by a US military firing squad.

The decision came on the recommendation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and was signed off by Trump. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that the Secretary of the Army will set the date and location for the execution.

Hasan, now 56, served as a psychiatrist in the US Army with the rank of major. On November 5, 2009, he entered a processing center where soldiers were undergoing medical and administrative preparations before deploying to Afghanistan, drew a semi-automatic pistol fitted with a laser sight, and opened fire on the troops. During the shooting, he shouted "Allahu Akbar."

Thirteen people were killed in the massacre, 12 soldiers and one civilian employee, and 32 others were wounded. Among the dead was a pregnant soldier. Hasan himself was shot by a police officer during the takedown and remains partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Nidal Malik Hasan, former US Army officer who murdered 13 and wounded 32 (Photo: social media)

At his 2013 court-martial, Hasan did not attempt to deny that he carried out the shooting. Instead, he framed his actions as part of a war he claimed the United States was waging against Muslims, and said he acted to defend Taliban fighters. A military jury convicted him on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder, and sentenced him to death.

The presidential decision comes after years of legal proceedings. According to reports, Hasan may still attempt to delay the execution through additional appeals in federal courts.

The significance of the decision extends beyond the identity of the condemned. If the execution is carried out, it will be the first military execution in the United States since 1961. In addition, it may be the first time since 1945 that the US military has carried out an execution by firing squad.

The last time an American soldier was executed under military authority was in 1961, when Private John Bennett was hanged at the military prison in Fort Leavenworth after being convicted of rape and attempted murder.