US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army major sentenced to death for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood military base in Texas.
The decision was announced by Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's
chief spokesman, who stated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the
execution and that Trump gave his authorization. The Secretary of the Army will
now determine the date and location of the execution.
Hasan, who was then serving as an Army psychiatrist, opened
fire on November 5, 2009, at a training facility where soldiers were preparing
for deployment. The attack left 13 people dead and 32 wounded.
In 2013, a military court found Hasan guilty of 13 counts of
premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and
sentenced him to death. He has been on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
ever since.
If it is ultimately carried out, it would be the first
execution by the U.S. Armed Forces since 1961, when Private John A. Bennett was
executed. It would also be an exceptional case because of the method chosen: a
firing squad.
However, some analysts believe that the presidential
authorization does not mean the execution will occur immediately. Hasan can
still resort to legal mechanisms that could delay the procedure, perhaps for an
extended period.