FORT HOOD, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – The U.S. Army has designated December 3, 2026, as the date for carrying out the execution of former Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The execution by firing squad is planned for 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle confirmed the specifics of 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 at the Texas military base.
The decision to execute Hasan by firing squad was authorized by President Donald Trump following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under military law, presidential approval is required to execute a death sentence within the armed forces. This scheduled execution will end a 65-year hiatus in U.S. military executions, the last one having taken place in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when Private John Bennett was hanged after his conviction for rape and attempted murder under military jurisdiction.
At the time of the attack on November 5, 2009, Hasan was serving as an Army psychiatrist. He opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where soldiers prepared for deployment. The assault claimed the lives of twelve active-duty personnel and one retired soldier. In 2013, a military panel found Hasan guilty on 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The court-martial also ordered his dismissal from service, along with the forfeiture of military pay and allowances.
Legal battles over years culminate in scheduled execution
Hasan endured more than ten years of appeals within the military justice system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces affirmed his convictions and death sentence in March 2024. Subsequently, he submitted a petition for review to the U.S. Supreme Court, which was denied on March 31, 2025. This ruling upheld the military court’s decision and concluded his pursuit of review by the nation’s highest judicial authority.
The Army intends to execute the sentence at Fort Hood, the same installation where the mass shooting occurred. During the attack, police officers shot Hasan, leaving him partially paralyzed, and he has since required the use of a wheelchair. During his court-martial proceedings, Hasan admitted to the shooting, stating that he wanted to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. His confession became part of the official court record.
Rare military execution order signifies historic legal milestone
The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since April 13, 1961. Before an execution, death sentences pass through multiple levels of mandatory review. Hasan’s case advanced through these appellate stages before President Trump approved the firing squad method. The Army has now officially scheduled the execution following extensive legal review. This December date also marks the first use of a firing squad in the military in generations.
Hasan’s execution is set for December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood. The Army has finalized the method, location, and timing of the sentence. The case, originating from the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, has gone through years of military legal proceedings. After the Supreme Court declined further review in 2025, the scheduled firing squad execution will be the first U.S. military execution in over sixty years.