US Army Plans Firing Squad Execution of Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood
- Army plans to execute Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood, Texas, on Dec.
- Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle announced the schedule for the execution, returning Hasan to the site of the 2009 attack, airforcetimes.com reported.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Human Events Daily podcast that the execution will be public so that people understand serious consequences exist for such crimes, gizmodo.com reported.
The U.S. Army plans to execute Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood, Texas, on Dec. 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Hasan was convicted of murdering 13 people and wounding 32 others in a shooting spree at the Texas military base on Nov. 5, 2009.
Army Schedules Execution at Site of 2009 Attack
Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle announced the schedule for the execution, returning Hasan to the site of the 2009 attack, airforcetimes.com reported. The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The last military firing squad execution occurred on Jan. 31, 1945, when Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik was executed in France for desertion during World War II, according to airforcetimes.com. Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell noted that Hasan shouted Allahu Akbar during the 2009 attack before military jurors recommended a death sentence in August 2013.
Public Broadcast May Trigger Legal Battle
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Human Events Daily podcast that the execution will be public so that people understand serious consequences exist for such crimes, gizmodo.com reported. Pentagon officials confirmed the Dec. 3, 2026, schedule to outlets including the Associated Press, CNN, and the New York Times. Eugene R. Fidell, a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, told the Associated Press that Hasan could file a habeas petition challenging the legality of a livestreamed execution, potentially triggering a prolonged legal battle.
Habeas Petition Could Outlast Current Administration
Legal experts note that any habeas petition filed by Hasan could outlast the current administration, leaving the ultimate outcome subject to future legal proceedings, gizmodo.com reported. Meanwhile, Hasan remains incarcerated on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he was transferred following his 2013 court-martial conviction, airforcetimes.com confirmed. Pentagon officials have not released further logistical details regarding the broadcast platform or public access mechanics ahead of the December date.