Summary (tl;dr)

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, by firing squad, marking what would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961.

Essential Background

On November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan, then a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. The mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injured over 30 others, making it one of the deadliest attacks on an American military base. Hasan, who admitted to the shootings during his court-martial in August 2013, cited opposition to military deployment and jihadism as his motives, claiming he acted to protect Islamic insurgents from U.S. military forces. He was subsequently convicted on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced to death by a military jury. Hasan has since been incarcerated on death row at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The Full Story

Nidal Hasan and the Fort Hood shooting are trending today, October 6, 2026, because President Donald Trump has approved Hasan's execution by a U.S. Army firing squad. This decision follows Hasan's exhaustion of his appeals in 2025, clearing the way for the presidential review of his death sentence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution method, which President Trump then approved. The Secretary of the Army will now determine the specific time and place for the execution.

Why It Matters

This development is highly significant as Hasan's execution would be the first carried out by the U.S. military since 1961. The approval brings a potential conclusion to a lengthy legal process for the victims and their families, many of whom have expressed frustration over the delay in carrying out the sentence. The method of execution, a firing squad, is also rare and has drawn particular attention. This decision underscores the military justice system's ultimate punishment for one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism on a U.S. military installation.

Geographic Location

• Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Killeen, Bell County, Texas, United States (location of the 2009 mass shooting)
• United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States (location of Nidal Hasan's incarceration on death row)