Pentagon Sets December 3 Execution Date for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan by Firing Squad
The Pentagon has announced that former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan will be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas—the same military post where he carried out a deadly mass shooting in 2009. The execution, scheduled for 1 p.m., marks the first military execution in more than 60 years and the first by firing squad since World War II. An email sent to victims’ families confirmed the date and location, according to CBS Texas.
Hasan, a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent and a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire on November 5, 2009, at the Fort Hood processing center, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others. He was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death. The attack remains one of the deadliest mass shootings on a U.S. military installation. The decision to execute him at the same site is intended to bring a measure of closure to the victims’ families and the Fort Hood community.
The execution follows an executive order signed by President Trump, which describes capital punishment as “an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens.” While the majority of U.S. executions occur at the state level, 27 states, the federal government, and the military still retain capital punishment as a legally available option. The military’s last execution was in 1961, making Hasan’s case a historic and controversial moment in U.S. military justice.
As the date approaches, the case is expected to draw national attention, balancing the pursuit of justice with ongoing debates over the death penalty. For the families of the 13 victims and the 32 wounded, the execution represents a long-awaited conclusion to a tragedy that shook the nation. The Pentagon has not released further details on the execution protocol or witnesses.
Shimanta Das 
