FORT HOOD, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – The U.S. Army has designated December 3, 2026, as the day to carry out former Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution. The firing squad is set to execute him at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle verified the details—date, location, and method—in an official memo. Hasan was sentenced to death for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. That attack resulted in 13 fatalities and 32 injuries at the Texas military base.
President Donald Trump approved Hasan’s execution by firing squad following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under military law, the president’s approval is required to carry out a death sentence. This scheduled execution ends a 65-year period without U.S. military executions. The last military execution took place in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Previously, the Army hanged Private John Bennett after his conviction for rape and attempted murder under military jurisdiction.
At the time of the attack on November 5, 2009, Hasan was serving as an Army psychiatrist. He opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where soldiers prepared for deployment. The shooting killed 12 active-duty personnel and one retired soldier. In 2013, a military panel found Hasan guilty on 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The court-martial also ordered him to be dismissed from the Army and stripped of pay and allowances.
Years of military appeals lead to scheduled execution
Hasan challenged his sentence for more than ten years through the military justice system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld his convictions and death sentence in March 2024. He then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rejected his petition on March 31, 2025. That ruling confirmed the military court’s decision and ended his hopes for further review from the nation’s highest court.
The Army will carry out the execution at Fort Hood, the same base where Hasan committed the mass shooting. During the attack, police shot him, leaving him partially paralyzed. Hasan now uses a wheelchair. During his court-martial, he admitted to the shooting. He stated he wanted to stop U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. His confession became part of the official court record.
The firing squad order signals a rare military case
The U.S. military hasn’t executed a prisoner since April 13, 1961. Before an execution, military death sentences go through several mandatory review levels. Hasan’s case advanced through these stages before Trump approved the firing squad method. The Army has now officially scheduled his execution after extensive legal review. This would be the first military firing squad in many decades.
Hasan’s execution remains set for December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. The Army has finalized the method, place, and date. His case began with the 2009 shooting and involved years of military appeals. The Supreme Court declined further review in 2025. The planned firing squad execution will be the first U.S. military execution in over 60 years.