Thirteen lives were taken at Fort Hood in November 2009, and a reported presidential decision could now move the convicted killer closer to execution. Former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for the shooting that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
According to a statement attributed to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, President Donald Trump has approved execution by firing squad following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The account does not independently verify the announcement, and no execution date has been set.
The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was put to death. Army officials have described any current preparations as longstanding contingency planning rather than a sign that an execution is imminent.
Witnesses at Fort Hood initially mistook the gunfire for a training exercise before realizing people around them were bleeding. Behind the legal developments remains the lasting human toll on the soldiers, survivors, and families devastated by the attack.