On October 6, 2026, the Pentagon confirmed that President Donald Trump approved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recommendation to execute Nidal Hasan, who was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that resulted in 13 deaths and 32 injuries.
Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, was sentenced to death in 2013 after a court-martial where he expressed motivations linked to extremist ideologies. This execution would be historic as it would be the first carried out by the U.S. military since 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged.
The approval comes after the Supreme Court denied Hasan's appeal in March 2025, allowing the execution process to move forward. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized the significance of this decision, stating that justice for the victims and survivors of Hasan's attack is long overdue.
Hegseth has been vocal about his commitment to ensuring that the death penalty is enforced in this case, reflecting a broader stance on military justice and the handling of terrorism-related offenses within the armed forces