Trump Approves Dec. 3 Firing Squad for Fort Hood Killer Hasan, First Military Execution Since 1961
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
Trump Approves Dec. 3 Firing Squad for Fort Hood Killer Hasan, First Military Execution Since 1961
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
Summary
Dec. 3, 2026 is the date set for Nidal Hasan’s execution by U.S. Army firing squad at Fort Hood, after Trump approved the sentence for the 2009 attack.
Hasan, a former Army major, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 when he opened fire on unarmed soldiers and civilians at the Texas base.
Alonzo Lunsford, a retired staff sergeant shot several times including in the head, said he plans to attend because the execution could bring closure to survivors and victims’ families.
The case would mark the first U.S. military execution since 1961 and the military’s first use of a firing squad since 1945, underscoring the rarity of the punishment.
Why is the U.S. military reviving the firing squad for the first time since 1945 to execute the Fort Hood shooter?
With a strict 150-day window looming, will pending legal reviews derail the military's first firing squad execution since World War II?
The First U.S. Military Execution in 65 Years: The Hasan Case, Firing Squad Protocol, and the Future of Capital Punishment
Overview
The report traces the path from Nidal Hasan’s radicalization and deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting, through his conviction and years of appeals, to President Trump’s 2026 approval of his execution by firing squad. This decision comes amid a national crisis over lethal injection drugs, leading both states and the military to revive alternative methods like the firing squad. Recent botched executions have raised doubts about the reliability of such methods. As Hasan’s legal team prepares new federal challenges, victims’ families remain divided, with some fearing the execution could politicize Hasan’s legacy and cause further pain.