2009 Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan to Be Executed by Firing Squad
A death penalty by firing squad has been ordered for former U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, who massacred 13 people in 2009.
It has been reported that former U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 armed attack at the Fort Hood base in Texas, will be executed by a firing squad.
Approval Process of the Death Sentence
Department of Defense Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell announced that the firing squad method for Nidal Hasan was recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and approved by President Donald Trump.
In his statement, Parnell expressed that the day of justice has finally arrived for Hasan.
Date and Location of the Execution
Acting Army Secretary Adam R. Telle stated in an announcement on Tuesday evening that the execution will take place at the Fort Hood base on December 3 at 1:00 PM local time.
Telle also noted that President Trump approved the death sentence on Friday and that the process will be overseen by the commander of the United States Disciplinary Barracks.
A Historic First
This decision means that the U.S. military will use this execution method for the first time since World War II.
The last military execution in U.S. military justice history was carried out by hanging in 1961.
The Bloody Attack in 2009
Former major and psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire while shouting religious phrases at the Fort Hood base on November 5, 2009, killing 13 people and injuring 32 others.
Prosecutors had argued that Hasan acted out of a belief in jihad and a desire to avoid being deployed to Afghanistan.
Trial and Conviction
Hasan, who acted as his own attorney during his trial, was found guilty by a jury in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, and was sentenced to death.
An Army prosecutor told the jury during the trial that the defendant had created a personal killing zone on the base on the day of the attack.