A former U.S. army officer found guilty of the 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, is set to face a firing squad in December, marking the first U.S. military execution in over 65 years. Acting U.S. army secretary Adam Telle announced on social media that army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan will be executed on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood following approval from President Donald Trump.
The news has surprised Hasan’s civil case attorney and raised concerns among military law experts regarding the execution process and notification protocol. Questions have also emerged about the formation and procedures of the firing squad, as the military has not employed this method since the end of World War II.
The execution date was initiated by Trump’s approval on Oct. 2, as per army regulations requiring a timeframe between 60 to 150 days for the execution to take place. While details of the execution location, squad composition, and procedures remain undisclosed, inquiries for further information have been declined by both Pentagon officials and the army.
In the absence of specific execution protocols in army regulations, historical practices suggest that one shooter may be given a blank round to obscure who fired the fatal shot. Hasan, a former army psychiatrist, carried out the shooting at Fort Hood, motivated by preventing soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan. Despite being denied the opportunity to present his defense during trial, Hasan may opt to pursue legal avenues to challenge his execution.
Military executions are infrequent, with death sentences and executions being rare occurrences within the military justice system. Hasan, among four individuals on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., faces the prospect of being the first to be executed since 1961. The rush to execute Hasan has drawn criticism from his legal representatives, questioning the adherence to proper notification procedures and Hasan’s physical condition for the execution.
Speculation arose about the potential involvement of states like South Carolina or Utah, known for reinstating firing squads for executions, in Hasan’s execution process. South Carolina’s firing squad protocol involves three shooters targeting the prisoner’s heart, with recent executions costing around $54,000 for chamber renovations.