WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the execution by firing squad of former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
The announcement marks a rare move, as the U.S. armed forces have not carried out a capital sentence since 1961. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell shared the update on social media, noting that the Army secretary will ultimately determine the date and location for the punishment.
”Judgement day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell wrote.
The case dates back to 2009 when Hasan, a military psychiatrist, entered a medical facility where troops were undergoing health screenings. Shouting “Allahu akbar” — the Arabic phrase for “God is great” — he opened fire using a laser-guided handgun, leaving 13 people dead and over 30 others wounded.
During his trial, Hasan offered virtually no defense. He informed the jury that he conducted the attack to stop soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and killing fellow Muslims, describing himself as a serviceman who had “switched sides”.
While Trump’s endorsement initiates the official procedures for the sentence, Hasan could delay the process for years through habeas corpus appeals in civilian federal courts. Capital punishment remains extremely uncommon in military court proceedings.
Hasan is currently one of four inmates on death row at the military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The last service member put to death was Pvt. John Bennett, who was hanged in 1961.
The decision follows a botched execution attempt in Tennessee involving death row inmate Christa Pike, which prompted the state’s governor to pause executions to allow for an independent review.
When asked if the incident in Tennessee would prompt changes to capital punishment procedures, Trump described it as “an interesting situation.”
”It shouldn’t be very difficult,” Trump said regarding the administration of lethal injections.