Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the use of a firing squad for the execution of Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas. The Pentagon announced Monday night that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended death by firing squad for Hasan, and Trump approved it. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X that Hegseth will set the time and place of the execution, calling Hasan "the jihadist who opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009." "He killed 13 people and wounded 32 others while shouting 'Allahu Akbar' during the attack," Parnell said. "Judgement day for Hasan has finally come." Hegseth replied to Parnell's post with a single word: "Justice." If carried out, it would be the Army's first firing-squad execution of a soldier since World War II, when Private Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion in 1945. It would also be the first imposition of any death penalty on an armed service member in 65 years. The last person executed by the U.S. military was Army Private John Bennett, who was hanged in 1961. ## A 13-year road to the sentence Hasan, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted in July 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder by a jury panel of 13 officers, which unanimously recommended his death sentence. He admitted in court that he was the gunman in the November 5, 2009 shooting. His conviction and sentence have already survived the military appellate process. The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces affirmed both in March 2024, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in March 2025. Trump's approval triggers the next procedural stage. The secretary of the Army will determine the time and place of the execution. Army policy calls for an execution no sooner than 60 days and no later than 150 days after presidential approval, though Hasan may still seek habeas corpus review in civilian federal court, a process legal experts say could delay the execution for years. Only four inmates, including Hasan, remain on military death row at Fort Leavenworth. The decision comes days after Tennessee's failed attempt to execute an inmate by lethal injection renewed national scrutiny of execution procedures. — Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself? Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more. [Create a free account here](https://unusualwhales.com/login?ref=blubber) to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales — ## Options market and stocks to watch This is a political headline story with little direct market impact, but high-profile White House news moves sentiment and volatility. Watch these names: [SPY](https://unusualwhales.com/stock/spy/overview): the broad market ETF absorbs every major political headline. Watch for volatility spikes around further execution-schedule announcements. [QQQ](https://unusualwhales.com/stock/qqq/overview): tech-heavy Nasdaq exposure tends to swing hardest on headline-driven risk-off moves. Watch for unusual flow around Pentagon announcements and any court filings in the case. For more political coverage, see [other market news here](https://unusualwhales.com/news). Want more market intelligence? [Create your free Unusual Whales account](https://unusualwhales.com/login?ref=blubber) for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.