Why Trump approved firing squad execution for the Fort Hood shooter
By Easton Martin
President Donald Trump approved an execution by military firing squad for convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan, according to a Pentagon announcement.
The decision directs the Secretary of the Army to establish the date and location to carry out the sentence.The action follows the formal conclusion of military appeals for Hasan, an Army major and psychiatrist convicted at court-martial in 2013.
Hasan carried out the November 5, 2009, mass shooting at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center in Fort Hood, Texas. The attack resulted in 14 deaths, alongside more than 30 wounded victims. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, carrying out a capital sentence against an active-duty service member requires direct presidential authorization.
If carried out, the execution would represent the first military capital punishment executed in the United States since 1961, when the military executed Army Private John Bennett by hanging at Fort Leavenworth. The last execution by military firing squad occurred in 1945. Hasan retains the ability to file civilian federal habeas corpus petitions, which could introduce further legal proceedings before officials finalize an execution date.
