Hasan Execution Set for December 3

Sixty-five years have passed since the Army last carried out a death penalty, and that period ends on December 3. Nidal Hasan, a U.S. citizen and former soldier, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad at Fort Hood in Texas. The event marks the first military execution in decades and introduces a method last used in 1961 to the modern American justice system.

Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down due to a wound sustained during the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. He has used a wheelchair since that day. On November 5, 2009, Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. One victim was pregnant, and another was a civilian who attempted to intervene. Hasan, who describes himself as a jihadist, remains the only soldier on active duty or in the reserve to be sentenced to death for a crime committed in uniform during that conflict.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the decision to use a firing squad, calling it a no-brainer. He selected 1 p.m. as the execution time to coincide with the hour Hasan began shooting in 2009. A Pentagon spokesman described the date as judgment day. Officials also floated the idea of livestreaming the event, a move that drew scrutiny for its public nature. Hegseth’s announcement included a statement that the decision was straightforward, a comment that critics noted reflected limited deliberation on the method.

President Donald Trump ordered the execution without initially knowing Hasan could not stand. CNN reported that the president learned of Hasan’s paralysis after the order had been issued. Trump, who has long advocated for capital punishment, previously demanded the execution of five teenagers in the Central Park case, a group later exonerated. He never apologized for that demand. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper wrote that Trump once asked if troops could shoot protesters in the legs. These prior actions shape the current debate over the administration’s approach to using lethal force against citizens.

Hasan was born in Virginia and holds U.S. citizenship. The government has referred to him as a fanatic for 17 years. His execution will take place on the ground where he committed the crime. Military leaders have not executed anyone since 1961, meaning current officials have no recent operational experience with this method. The protocol involves lifting Hasan from his wheelchair to strap him to a chair, a logistical detail that has drawn attention to the physical reality of the process.

The next step is the execution itself on December 3. The Army will assemble a firing squad to carry out the sentence. The event will occur at Fort Hood, Texas. The families of the victims have waited 17 years for this outcome. The government will move forward with the scheduled timeline, ending a long legal and military process. Hasan will be the first person executed by the Army in 65 years.