Why a firing squad? How the military execution will work
Nidal Hasan will be executed by a firing squad of soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas on December 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST. It will be the first U.S. military execution since 1961, and the military's first by firing squad since the Second World War.
Who chose a firing squad?
According to the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended a firing squad and President Trump approved it. Hegseth called it a "no-brainer" and said:
"It's going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad."
Why the President had to sign off
Under military law, a service member's death sentence cannot be carried out until the President approves it. Hasan's appeals were exhausted in 2025, and the President's approval came on October 2, 2026. The Acting Secretary of the Army, Adam Telle, then set the date.
Why 1:00 PM?
Hegseth said the execution would take place at the same time of day as the 2009 attack:
"We're going to do it at one o'clock, which is when he did it."
The last U.S. military execution
The last person executed by the U.S. military was Army soldier John A. Bennett, who was hanged at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on April 13, 1961. The military has not carried out an execution in the 65 years since.