US President Trump approves execution for Fort Hood mass shooting

Nidal Hasan, a psychiatrist in the US Army, was convicted of carrying out one of the deadliest mass shootings at a US military installation when he opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas on November 5, 2009. The attack claimed 13 lives and wounded 30 others, shocking the military community and the nation.

Hasan has been on death row since his conviction in 2013. His case has moved through the military justice system for over a decade, with multiple appeals and legal proceedings delaying the final outcome. The approval of his execution represents a significant moment in US military law, as it will be the first such execution carried out by the armed forces since 1961.

The decision to proceed with capital punishment in a military context reflects the severity of the charges against Hasan, who was found guilty of premeditated murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. His case has remained closely watched by military justice advocates and civil rights organisations who have followed the lengthy legal process.

Execution by firing squad remains one of the methods permissible under US military law, though it is rarely employed in modern times. The approval moves Hasan's case into its final phase, though additional legal steps may still be required before the sentence is carried out.