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The former U.S. Army major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 will be executed by firing squad, officials said Monday.
The Defense Department’s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said death by firing squad for Nidal Hasan was recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and approved by President Donald Trump.
It would mark the first time the U.S. military has executed someone using the method since World War II.
Hasan is a former Army major and psychiatrist who opened fire at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 32 as he shouted “Allahu akbar,” Parnell said.
He was convicted of premeditated murder in 2013 and sentenced to death.
Prosecutors alleged he was motivated by unwillingness to be deployed to Afghanistan and by a sense of duty to jihad to kill as many American soldiers as possible, though a Joint Terrorism Task Force determined that he “was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning,” and authorities said he acted alone.
An Army prosecutor, Col. Steve Henricks, told the jury that Hasan had created a “personal kill zone” at Fort Hood the day of the attack.
Hasan acted as his own lawyer during the trial and was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in 2013.
Acting Army Secretary Adam R. Telle will set a time and place for the execution, Parnell said, adding, “Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.”
Army Pvt. John Bennett was the last service member to be executed by the U.S. military — in 1961 by hanging. Pvt. Eddie Slovik was the last service member to be executed by firing squad in 1945, for desertion during World War II.
I am NBC News’ producer & off-air reporter covering stories about and related to the Defense Department around the world.
Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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