FORT HOOD, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – The U.S. Army has scheduled December 3, 2026, as the date for the execution of former Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The execution by firing squad is set to take place at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle confirmed this information, including the date, location, and method, in an official memorandum. Hasan was sentenced to death for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, which resulted in 13 fatalities and 32 injuries among service members at the Texas military installation.
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, presidential approval is required before the armed forces can carry out a death penalty. This scheduled execution ends a 65-year hiatus in U.S. military executions, with the last one occurring in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Private John Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder under military law.
During the attack on November 5, 2009, Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where troops 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 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The court-martial also ordered his dismissal from the Army and the forfeiture of his military pay and allowances.
Years of military appeals culminate in scheduled execution
Hasan’s efforts to overturn his conviction and sentence extended over more than ten years through the military justice system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld both his conviction and death sentence in March 2024. He then petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review, but his request was denied on March 31, 2025. This decision affirmed the military court’s ruling and ended his pursuit of further legal remedy before the nation’s highest court.
The Army will execute the sentence at Fort Hood, the same base where Hasan carried out the mass shooting. During the attack, police officers shot him, leaving him partially paralyzed; he now uses a wheelchair. Hasan admitted during his court-martial to carrying out the shooting, stating he aimed to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. His statement is part of the official court record.
Rare military case results in firing squad order
The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since April 13, 1961. Before an execution, military death sentences undergo multiple levels of mandatory review. Hasan’s case successfully navigated these appellate stages until President Trump approved the use of a firing squad. The Army has now officially scheduled his execution after extensive legal review, and this will be the first military use of a firing squad in many years.
Hasan remains set for execution at Fort Hood on December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time. The Army has finalized the method, location, and date following the lengthy legal process stemming from the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. After the Supreme Court declined review in 2025, this scheduled firing squad execution will mark the first U.S. military execution in over sixty years.