President Donald Trump approved a plan to execute former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan by firing squad, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. The method was recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hasan was convicted in a 2013 court-martial for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 13 people and the wounding of 32 others.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, admitted to the shooting during his trial, stating he was attempting to protect Islamic insurgents from U.S. military forces. He represented himself during the proceedings, despite concerns from his standby attorneys that he was seeking the death penalty. His conviction and death sentence followed a lengthy appeals process, which included a 2024 petition to the Supreme Court that the high court declined to hear in 2025.
The execution would mark the first time a U.S. service member has been executed since 1961, when a soldier was hanged for rape and attempted murder. While the federal government typically utilizes lethal injection for civilian cases, the Justice Department stated earlier in 2026 that officials should consider alternative methods, including firing squads, electrocution, and lethal gas.
The decision affects Hasan, his legal team, and the families of the 13 individuals killed and 32 wounded in the 2009 attack. It would be the first military execution in 65 years. The use of a firing squad is a rare occurrence in the United States; prior to three such executions in South Carolina in 2025, the method had not been used in the country for 16 years.
The action involves the coordination of the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army. Under the approved plan, the Secretary of the Army is tasked with determining the specific timing and location for the execution. The individual involved would transition from a long-term death row status to an active execution schedule using a method that differs from the standard federal practice of lethal injection.
The decision follows a period where federal guidelines were expanded to include firing squads as a permissible method of execution. For the military, this establishes the procedural framework for carrying out a capital sentence. The Secretary of the Army will set the execution date and location. CBS News reported reaching out to Hasan's attorney for comment following the announcement.