The Pentagon announced on Monday that President Donald Trump has granted approval for the execution of Nidal Hasan, the convicted Fort Hood mass shooter, by a U.S. Army firing squad. This decision follows a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hasan’s execution would mark the first carried out by the U.S. military after a court-martial since 1961, when Pvt. John Bennett was hanged for serious crimes.

Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was found guilty and sentenced to death following a 2013 court-martial for the 2009 shooting attack at Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, who was then an Army major, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others during the shooting spree. During his trial, he stated that his actions were driven by support for the Taliban and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The Supreme Court rejected Hasan’s appeal in March 2025, clearing the way for his execution. Defense Secretary Hegseth expressed his strong commitment to ensuring the death sentence is carried out, emphasizing justice for the victims and survivors of the attack. Under federal law, the president’s approval is necessary for executions resulting from military court-martials.

Currently, Hasan is among four individuals on death row stemming from U.S. military court-martials. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the Secretary of the Army will determine the timing and location of the execution. The approval closes a long legal process in one of the most severe cases of domestic terrorism involving an active-duty service member.