Former Army psychiatrist was sentenced to death for killing 13 people and wounding 32 in the 2009 Texas military-base attack; execution would be the U.S. military’s first in more than six decades

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad, more than 17 years after he opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others.

The Pentagon announced the decision Monday, with chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended the execution method and Trump had approved it. 

Parnell said the Secretary of the Army will determine the date, time and location of the execution, although the process could still face further legal challenges.

“Judgment day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell said in announcing the decision. 

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted by a military jury in 2013 for the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood. He was sentenced to death after being found responsible for the deaths of 13 people and the wounding of 32 others.

During his court-martial, Hasan acknowledged that he was the gunman and argued that his actions were intended to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims. He largely declined to mount a conventional defense during the trial. 

First military execution since 1961

If carried out, Hasan's execution would mark the first time the U.S. military has carried out a death sentence since 1961.

The last military execution was the hanging of Army Pvt. John Bennett in 1961. A firing squad execution would be even rarer: the method has not been used by the U.S. military since 1945. 

Hasan is currently held on military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is among a small number of prisoners awaiting military execution. 

Trump's approval does not necessarily mean the execution will happen immediately. Hasan may pursue additional legal challenges in federal court, potentially delaying the process. 

The decision also comes amid renewed debate in the United States over execution methods, including the use of firing squads as an alternative to lethal injection.

For the families of those killed at Fort Hood, however, the announcement revives a case that has remained unresolved for years. The 2009 attack was one of the deadliest incidents ever recorded at a U.S. military installation.

The execution date remains pending.