FORT HOOD, Texas — Nidal Malik Hasan, the former U.S. Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time, according to the U.S. Army. The execution is planned for Fort Hood, Texas, where the attack occurred.
The Army announced the date after President Donald Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on October 2. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle subsequently directed the execution, marking a significant development in a case that has remained in the military justice system for more than a decade.
What Happened at Fort Hood?
On November 5, 2009, Hasan opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, a major U.S. Army installation in Texas. The shooting killed 13 people, including 12 soldiers and one civilian, and wounded 32 others.
Hasan, who was serving as an Army major and psychiatrist, was shot by responding officers, seriously wounded and taken into custody. The attack devastated military families and drew national attention to security at military installations.
Conviction and Death Sentence
In August 2013, a military jury found Hasan guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. The panel recommended the death penalty, which was formally imposed following the court-martial proceedings.
His conviction and sentence later passed through the military appellate process. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his case in March 2025, according to the Army’s account of the proceedings.
Why the Date Matters
If carried out as scheduled, Hasan’s execution would mark the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades. The case remains a landmark in military criminal justice, with the December date representing the next major step in a long legal process.