The Department of Defense is finalizing plans to seek the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who carried out the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, marking the first U.S. military execution in over 60 years. Hasan, who killed 13 service members and wounded 32 others during the attack, was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death. After his final legal appeals were rejected in April 2025, the Pentagon is now seeking President Trump’s approval to proceed with the execution. The decision has generated widespread discussion, as critics argue the attack was motivated by Islamist ideology rather than being classified as workplace violence.
Hasan, born in Arlington, Virginia, in 1970 to Palestinian immigrant parents, served nearly 20 years in the Army before reportedly embracing radical Islamist beliefs. By the time he was stationed at Fort Hood in 2009, he had become outspoken in his opposition to U.S. military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, justifying suicide bombings as legitimate acts of war. During his subsequent trial, Hasan admitted to the shooting and claimed it was necessary to protect the ‘Islamic Empire’ from American forces.
The Pentagon had categorized the massacre as an act of ‘workplace violence,’ a decision that drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, victims’ families, and national security experts. They argued it obscured the ideological and terrorist motivations behind the attack. In 2013, a military jury convicted Hasan and sentenced him to death. He has been held on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since. After years of appeals, Hasan’s final legal challenge was rejected in April 2025, clearing the way for execution.
“I am 100% committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.” Hasan is one of just four prisoners facing the death penalty under military jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Army secretary has already recommended execution, and the Department of War is advancing the request. The Pentagon is preparing to ask President Donald Trump to authorize the execution, with officials emphasizing the need for a swift and decisive resolution. The case has reignited debates about the use of the death penalty for military personnel and the justification for such proceedings in the context of national security and military justice.