Trump Sets Fort Hood Killers Execution Date

Soldiers in uniform line up outdoors with gear — Photo: Yes I Shoot models / Shutterstock

The Pentagon says Nidal Hasan will face a U.S. Army firing squad, and the clock is now in the Army’s hands.

Story Snapshot

President Trump approved execution by U.S. Army firing squad for Nidal Hasan.
The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution.
Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for killing 13 and wounding 32 at Fort Hood in 2009.
An email to families cites December 3, 2026 at Fort Hood, reported by CBS Texas.

What Was Ordered And Who Decides The When And Where

The Pentagon announced that President Trump approved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recommendation to execute Nidal Hasan by U.S. Army firing squad. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Secretary of the Army will set the time and place. That puts the scheduling duty squarely with the Army secretary, not the White House. The statement made clear the method is a U.S. Army firing squad, not a generic execution process.

CBS Texas reported that an email to victims’ families named December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood as the date and location. That reported notice gives families a timeline to plan, honor their loved ones, and prepare for a difficult day. The Pentagon’s public language focused on method and authority, and it left timing to the Army. The reported family email fills in that missing detail, pending a formal schedule from the Army secretary.

Who Hasan Is And What The Jury Decided

Hasan is a former Army major and psychiatrist who opened fire at Fort Hood in 2009. The attack killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. A military jury convicted him and, in 2013, sentenced him to death. He has been on military death row since that sentence. The basic facts of his crimes and punishment are long settled in court records and press accounts. That foundation is why action on method and timing commands so much attention now.

Reporters noted that Army policy sets a window for scheduling after presidential approval. ABC News cited an execution window of no sooner than 60 days and no later than 150 days after presidential approval. That standard guides the Secretary of the Army’s calendar and ensures time for notifications and logistics. It also reflects how the military blends due process with command responsibility in capital cases.

Why The Method Matters After 65 Quiet Years

The United States military has not carried out an execution since 1961. That six-decade gap makes any step toward a military execution news on its own. Firing squad adds a rare method to an already rare event. Analysts and historians point out that the military death penalty is highly unusual in practice, even when a jury imposes it. Many sentences never reach the end stage. That is why this approval stands out as a clear break from the long pause.

🚨 BREAKING: Nidal Hasan, who killed 12 soldiers and 1 civilian at Fort Hood in 2009, will be executed by firing squad at Fort Hood on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. CT, the Army says.

It would be the first US military execution since 1961 and the first Army firing-squad execution since WWII. pic.twitter.com/dGLz3D9Xf1

— Flash Update (@flashupdatenews) October 7, 2026

Some will argue about the method. Others will focus on justice for victims and the duty to protect troops. The facts support a simple conclusion that aligns with common sense: a military jury decided death in 2013, and the Commander in Chief approved a lawful, historically recognized method. The process places accountability where it belongs—on the chain of command—while centering the families who have waited for closure since 2009.

What Happens Next And What To Watch

The Secretary of the Army will issue the formal schedule and location. The Army must prepare personnel, security, and procedures for a firing squad. Notifications to families, witnesses, and counsel follow standard rules. Media access and base operations will be managed tightly to balance transparency with security. As with any capital case, further legal steps could affect timing, but the approval and authority structure are now set in a direct, orderly way.