The military justice system is about to break decades of precedent. President Donald Trump has approved a plan to execute former Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. If carried out, it marks the first time the United States military has used a firing squad since World War Two, when Pvt. Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion in 1945. It also represents the first military execution of any kind in over six decades, following Pvt. John Bennett’s hanging in 1961.
For years, Hasan sat on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His conviction dates back to 2013, when a military jury found him guilty of premeditated murder for killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others during the rampage. Ever since, his case has worked its way through appeals, including a 2024 petition to the Supreme Court that was ultimately declined. Now, the Trump administration has green-lit the execution method recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, turning a long-dormant legal process into an active flashpoint. Expanding on this theme, you can also read: Why The Cornell Sexual Assault Protests Expose Institutional Failures.
What Happened at Fort Hood in 2009
The tragedy remains one of the worst mass shootings on a domestic military installation in American history. On November 5, 2009, Hasan entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood. Armed with a legally purchased Fabrique Nationale FN Herstal 5.7x28mm pistol equipped with laser sights and multiple high-capacity magazines, he shouted "Allahu Akbar" and opened fire on unarmed service members preparing for deployment.
Thirteen people died that day, including twelve soldiers and one civilian, while more than thirty others suffered gunshot wounds or related injuries. Hasan was shot by civilian base police officer Kimberly Munley, which ended the rampage and left him paralyzed from the waist down. During his 2013 court-martial, Hasan chose to represent himself. He offered virtually no defense, admitted his ideological motivation, and was subsequently sentenced to death. Observers at Reuters have shared their thoughts on this trend.
The History of Military Firing Squads
Execution by firing squad carries a heavy historical weight in the United States armed forces. While common during the Civil War and both World Wars, the method faded away as capital punishment rules evolved and military law shifted.
The last known U.S. military execution by firing squad occurred on January 31, 1945, in France. Pvt. Eddie Slovik was court-martialed and executed for desertion after abandoning his rifle company as it faced heavy combat. Slovik became a stark exception in American military history; thousands of soldiers faced desertion charges during World War Two, but he was the only one executed for it.
Following World War Two, the military gradually moved away from firing squads, favoring hanging and later lethal injection. The revival of this specific method under the current administration introduces a rare shift in how capital punishment is administered within the Department of Defense.
Legal Precedents and Challenges Ahead
Carrying out an execution within the military requires clearing steep procedural hurdles. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell noted that the Secretary of the Army will set the specific time and place for the execution. However, legal challenges from Hasan's defense team are guaranteed.
Over the years, defense attorneys have contested everything from the fairness of his military court-martial to the conditions of his confinement. While the Supreme Court declined to review his trial complaints regarding courtroom access in 2024, federal and military courts will likely face emergency motions as execution dates approach.
The decision to utilize a firing squad rather than lethal injection or other federal methods also opens a distinct legal debate. Military regulations generally permit firing squads or hanging under specific Uniform Code of Military Justice guidelines, but modern practice has heavily favored standard lethal options. Bringing back the firing squad alters the visual and procedural reality of capital punishment in the United States military.
The timeline for the execution remains fluid. The Secretary of the Army must finalize logistics, and defense teams will exhaust remaining appellate avenues. Judgment day for Nidal Hasan is closer than it has been in over a decade, and the fallout will echo across the entire military justice landscape.
