Hegseth Pushes for Execution of Fort Hood Terrorist Nidal Hasan — First Military Execution in Over Six Decades

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has formally called for the execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, the radicalized Army psychiatrist responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood massacre that left 13 dead and 32 wounded.

Hegseth confirmed he is seeking President Donald Trump’s official approval to carry out the sentence, which would mark the first U.S. military execution since 1961.

“I am 100 percent committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,” Hegseth told The Hill.

“This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.”

A Long-Awaited Justice

Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 after being convicted on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. He has remained on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since.

Although years of legal maneuvering delayed the process, the last of Hasan’s appeals ended this April, clearing the way for his execution.

The last military execution was carried out in 1961, when former soldier John Bennett was hanged. Hasan is one of just four prisoners currently facing potential execution by the U.S. military.

Families Demand Accountability

For the families of victims, the years of delay have been agonizing. Jerri Krueger, whose daughter Staff Sgt. Amy S. Krueger was killed in the attack, expressed relief at Hasan’s conviction but admitted the grief never goes away.

“Although the pain of losing Amy will always weigh heavy upon us, we have some relief knowing that Hasan was found guilty without doubt and that he will pay for what he did,” she said after the 2013 verdict, according to the Army.

At the time, Krueger indicated she would have accepted life without parole for Hasan but did not oppose his execution, noting:

“I know he’s sitting in a four-by-eight cell, and that’s all that matters to me,” she told WISN-TV.

Congress later intervened to ensure that the victims of the massacre received Purple Hearts in 2015, acknowledging their sacrifice.

Radical Islamist Connections

Prior to the shooting, Hasan had been in communication with Yemeni-American cleric and al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki, according to a 2018 review by George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. That revelation further underscored the terrorist motivations behind the deadly rampage.