The Pentagon has confirmed that Nidal Hasan, the former US Army major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, will be executed by firing squad on December 3. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution will be public and livestreamed so people can witness the consequences of such acts.
Execution details announced
Hegseth, speaking aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, said soldiers with rifles will carry out the firing squad. He noted that this method has not been used by the US military since World War Two, adding that he likes the mentality of that era, which was about winning and standing your ground against enemy attacks.
Hasan, who used a laser-sighted handgun to kill 12 soldiers and one civilian, is one of only four inmates on the US military's death row. His execution would mark the first time the army has executed a soldier in over 60 years.
Background of the attack
The shooting occurred at a medical building on the Fort Hood base in Texas, where soldiers were awaiting check-ups and vaccines before deployment. Hasan shouted 'Allahu akbar' before opening fire, injuring over 30 others. At his 2013 trial, he admitted to being the gunman and said he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had earlier confirmed that President Donald Trump approved the execution. Asked about a possible clemency plea from Hasan, Hegseth said: 'Don't care. We'll see him on December 3rd.'
