An execution date has been scheduled for former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people during a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, according to an email sent to the victims’ families. The execution is set for Dec. 3, 2026, and will be carried out at the military installation where the attack occurred. Hasan is slated to die by firing squad in what will mark the first military execution since 1961. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the plan to utilize an Army firing squad was recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and approved by President Trump. Parnell remarked that judgment day for Hasan has finally arrived. In the November 5, 2009 attack, Hasan also injured 32 other individuals. The victims were unarmed soldiers preparing for deployment at the readiness center, and Hasan fired 146 rounds during the incident. The previous military execution took place 65 years ago when the Army executed Pvt. John Bennett by hanging. The last American execution by firing squad occurred during World War II when Pvt. Eddie Slovik was put to death in France for desertion. At the time of the shootings, Hasan was a 56-year-old Army psychiatrist with two decades of service. Witnesses reported hearing him shout phrases before opening fire. He was paralyzed from the chest down when responding police returned fire and has since been held on death row at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Under Army regulation 190-55, military executions require presidential approval. A 2019 regulatory revision removed lethal injection from the text, leaving the execution method to the discretion of the Army secretary based on recommendations from the provost marshal general. Following the order, the prisoner is personally informed of the decision by the commandant, accompanied by a chaplain and defense counsel. Family members of the deceased and surviving victims were notified prior to the public announcement and were given the opportunity to attend. For those affected by the tragedy over the past 17 years, the upcoming event represents a long-awaited final chapter.
Source: cbsnews.com
