FORT HOOD, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – The U.S. Army has determined December 3, 2026, as the date for executing former Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The planned firing squad execution will take place at 1 p.m. Central Time on Fort Hood. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle confirmed the specifics of the date, location, and method via an official memo. Hasan was sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood attack, which resulted in 13 fatalities and 32 wounded at the Texas military base.
The decision to proceed with Hasan’s execution was authorized by President Donald Trump following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under military law, the president’s approval is necessary before the armed forces can carry out a death penalty. This scheduled execution will mark the end of a 65-year hiatus in U.S. military executions, with the last one occurring in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Army hanged Private John Bennett after his conviction for rape and attempted murder under military law.
During the attack at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, Hasan served as an Army psychiatrist. He opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where soldiers prepare for deployment. The assault resulted in 12 active-duty personnel and one retired soldier losing their lives. In 2013, a military court convicted Hasan on 13 murder counts and 32 counts of attempted murder. The court-martial also ordered his dismissal from service and the forfeiture of military pay and allowances.
Legal delays culminate in upcoming execution
Hasan spent over ten years pursuing appeals through the military justice system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld his convictions and death sentence in March 2024. Subsequently, he sought review from the U.S. Supreme Court, which denied his petition on March 31, 2025. This ruling confirmed the military court’s decision and ended his pursuit for review by the nation’s highest court.
The Army plans to execute Hasan at Fort Hood, the same installation where he carried out the mass shooting. During the incident, police officers shot Hasan, leaving him partially paralyzed, and he now uses a wheelchair. Hasan admitted during his court-martial that he was responsible for the shooting, expressing that his motive was to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. His statement is part of the official court record.
The firing squad order signifies a rare military legal action
The U.S. military has not executed a prisoner since April 13, 1961. Before an execution, military death sentences undergo multiple levels of mandatory review. Hasan’s case advanced through these appellate stages before Trump approved the firing squad method. The Army has now officially scheduled the execution after extensive legal review, and this event will be the first use of a firing squad in generations within the military.
Hasan’s execution remains scheduled at Fort Hood for December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time. The Army has finalized the method, location, and date in connection with the years-long legal process starting from the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. The Supreme Court declined further review in 2025. This firing squad execution would be the first U.S. military execution in over sixty years.