U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad. The decision does not mean the execution is imminent. The Army secretary will set a time and place, and further appeals could delay it.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced Trump’s decision. The Associated Press reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution and that the president approved it. The Army secretary is to determine when and where it will take place.
Hasan was convicted by a military court in 2013 for the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas. On November 5, 2009, he opened fire inside a medical center on the military installation. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 were injured. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, represented himself at trial and did not dispute that he was the shooter.
If carried out, the execution would be the first in the U.S. military justice system since 1961. The president’s approval begins further legal procedures. Hasan may also seek review in the civilian federal courts. The Associated Press reported that such an appeal could delay the execution for years.