World · India Bureau
US Defense Secretary vows execution for Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan
Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, has announced that Nidal Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, will be executed by firing squad at the Texas military base where he carried out the attack.
LSN India ·
Nidal Hasan, responsible for one of the deadliest mass shootings at a US military installation, will face capital punishment through a firing squad at Fort Hood in Texas, according to a statement by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The execution will be conducted publicly at the base, marking a significant step in the closure of a case that has drawn prolonged legal proceedings over the past 15 years.
Hasan's attack on November 5, 2009, resulted in the deaths of 13 people and left 32 others injured. The shooting occurred at the sprawling military complex near Killeen, Texas, and shocked the nation as one of the deadliest incidents of violence on a US military base. The assailant was wounded during the attack and subsequently apprehended.
The former Army psychiatrist was court-martialed and convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. He had been serving a life sentence without parole since his conviction. Hegseth's announcement represents a definitive conclusion to legal proceedings that had extended over more than a decade.
The decision to carry out the execution at Fort Hood, where the crime occurred, underscores the military's commitment to justice for the victims and their families. The public nature of the proceeding reflects the gravity of the offense and the significance of the case within military and civilian communities alike.