Nidal Hasan scheduled for execution by firing squad at Fort Hood on 3 December 2026

An execution date for former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, has been set for Dec. 3, 2026, and will take place at the same post where he carried out his attack, according to an email sent to the families of victims. 

Hasan is set to die by firing squad in what will be the first military execution since 1961.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said late Monday that the plan to use an Army firing squad was recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and approved by President Trump.

“Judgement day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell wrote.

WTX Texas has reached out to Fort Hood for comment and was directed to Army headquarters.

In addition to the 13 people Hasan killed on Nov. 5, 2009, 32 others were injured. Those targeted were unarmed soldiers who were at the readiness center as they were preparing to deploy. Hasan fired 146 times. 

The last military execution took place 65 years ago, when the Army executed Pvt. John Bennett by hanging after he was convicted of rape and the attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl.

The last execution by firing squad happened during World War II, when Pvt. Eddie Slovik was put to death in France for desertion.

Hasan, now 56, was an Army psychiatrist at the time of the shootings. He had served two decades in the Army. Witnesses described hearing Hasan shout “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. Hasan was paralyzed from the chest down when police returned fire.

Since his conviction, Hasan has been on death row at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Why a firing squad?

According to Army regulation 190-55, military executions can only be approved by the president. A 2019 revision removed the term “lethal injection” from this regulation and left the method up to the secretary of the Army’s designation. According to the guidelines, the method is recommended to the secretary by the provost marshal general.

According to this order, the prisoner is informed of the president’s decision in person by the commandant, who is accompanied by a chaplain and, if available, a defense attorney. After the notification, the prisoner becomes a “condemned prisoner.”

The victims

Family members of those who died were notified of the planned execution before the announcement was made. They, along with survivors, were asked if they wanted to attend. The group, bonded in tragedy, has been intertwined over the last 17 years. This is what many hope will be the final chapter in the tragedy.

Below are the names of those who died. 

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55

Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo, 52

Capt. John P. Gaffaney, 56

Capt. Russell Seager, 51

Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow, 32

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22

Spc. Frederick Z. Greene, 29

Pfc. Aaron T Nemelka, 19

Pfc. Michael S. Pearson, 22

Pfc. Kham S. Xiong, 23

Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21 (and her unborn child)

Michael Grant Cahill, 62

This is a developing story. Additional details will be provided once they become available.