Nidal Malik Hasan latest news, 13 November 2026: The United States Army has scheduled the execution of former Army Major and military psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas that killed 13 people and injured 32 others.
According to an official US Army announcement published on 7 October 2026, President Donald Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on 2 October, following the military appellate process.
The Acting Secretary of the Army subsequently ordered that the execution be carried out by firing squad at Fort Hood on 3 December 2026, at 1:00 PM Central Standard Time.
Further legal proceedings could still affect the scheduled execution.
Who is Nidal Malik Hasan?
Nidal Malik Hasan was a US Army Major and military psychiatrist who served in the United States Army Medical Department.
Born in Virginia, United States, Hasan was responsible for providing psychiatric care to military personnel. He previously worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center before being transferred to Fort Hood, Texas.
Before the shooting, Hasan was facing a possible deployment to Afghanistan, which became an important aspect of the subsequent investigation.
His case attracted international attention because the perpetrator was a serving military officer entrusted with responsibilities involving the mental health of other service members.
What happened during the Fort Hood shooting on 5 November 2009?
On 5 November 2009, Hasan opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, Texas.
The facility was used by military personnel preparing for deployment and completing other service-related administrative procedures.
The shooting killed 13 people, including 12 military personnel and one civilian, and wounded another 32.
Hasan was shot by responding civilian police officers and survived with serious injuries that left him paralysed.
The incident devastated military families and raised serious questions about military installation security and the handling of warning signs before the attack.
Why did Nidal Malik Hasan carry out the attack?
During his court-martial, Hasan acknowledged carrying out the shooting.
He claimed that his intention was to prevent American soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and participating in military operations against Muslims.
Investigators also examined his ideological views and communications with extremist figures before the attack.
These were explanations presented by Hasan concerning his actions, not a legal justification for the killings.
His criminal responsibility was subsequently determined through the US military justice system.
What did the military court decide in 2013?
Hasan was tried by a general court-martial, the military judicial process used for serious offences involving members of the US Armed Forces.
On 23 August 2013, the court-martial panel convicted him of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder.
On 28 August 2013, the panel sentenced him to death.
However, the sentence could not be implemented immediately because military capital cases require extensive judicial review and separate presidential approval before execution.
How did the case reach the President?
The legal proceedings continued for more than a decade after the original conviction.
The US Supreme Court’s decision on 31 March 2025 did not impose a new death sentence. It declined to undertake the requested review.
The military court imposed the death sentence in 2013, while the President approved its execution in October 2026.
Why was presidential approval necessary?
The United States military operates under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which establishes specific procedures for prosecuting serious offences committed by military personnel.
In military death penalty cases, the sentence undergoes judicial review before it can be submitted for final presidential approval.
Under the applicable Army execution regulations, the Secretary of the Army ordinarily selects an execution date within 60 to 150 days following presidential approval.
In Hasan’s case, President Donald Trump approved the sentence on 2 October 2026, and Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle subsequently issued the execution direction.
This was an important procedural step because the original death sentence had remained unexecuted for more than 13 years.
Why has the US Army selected a firing squad?
The US Army’s official announcement specifies that Hasan’s execution will be carried out by firing squad at Fort Hood, the military installation where the attack occurred.
If implemented, it would represent the first execution conducted by the US military since 1961.
Military executions are extremely rare in the United States, making this case particularly significant in the history of American military justice.
The decision relates exclusively to the US military justice system and does not establish any change to Indian military law.
Will Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution be livestreamed?
Initial reports in October 2026 suggested that the execution might be broadcast publicly.
However, on 15 October 2026, President Donald Trump announced that the execution would not be livestreamed.
The announcement reversed the earlier proposal following public debate over the appropriateness of broadcasting capital punishment.
The decision concerning the livestream did not itself cancel the scheduled execution.
Can the execution still be delayed?
Yes. Although presidential approval has been granted and the military appellate process has concluded, Hasan may pursue further legal remedies in civilian federal courts.
Such proceedings could potentially result in a judicial stay or postponement.
As of 13 November 2026, the officially announced execution date remains 3 December 2026.
An execution order confirms that a date has been scheduled; it does not guarantee that the sentence will be carried out on that date.
Final takeaway
The Nidal Malik Hasan case illustrates the lengthy judicial and executive procedures involved in implementing capital punishment under United States military law.
Hasan was convicted in 2013 for the Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people in November 2009. Following years of appellate proceedings, President Donald Trump approved the death sentence in October 2026.
The US Army has scheduled his execution by firing squad for 3 December 2026, subject to any further intervention by the courts.
Official sources and references
1. United States Army — Official press release
Date: 7 October 2026
Title: Army sets execution date for convicted murderer Nidal Hasan
https://www.army.mil/article/295989/army_sets_execution_date_for_convicted_murderer_nidal_hasan
2. Army Times — Execution date and military justice proceedings
3. Associated Press — Presidential decision on execution livestream
https://apnews.com/article/9b48781e88660064bf0f5aa020db8df7
4. Death Penalty Information Center — Military execution and remaining legal review
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