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Pentagon sets December 3 execution date for Fort Hood shooter Hasan

The Pentagon has set December 3, 2026 as the execution date for Nidal Hasan at Fort Leavenworth military detention facility following President Trump's formal approval. The scheduled date completes the approval timeline after the Supreme Court declined to review his case in 2024 and would mark the first military execution since 1961.

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The essentials

Pentagon schedules Nidal Hasan execution for December 3, 2026, completing multi-step approval process.

The Pentagon has officially scheduled the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan for December 3, 2026, at Fort Leavenworth military detention facility in Kansas. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle announced the date following President Trump's formal approval of the firing squad execution.

The scheduled date represents the culmination of the approval timeline that began with the Pentagon's authorization of the execution method, followed by Trump administration approval, and the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision to decline review of Hasan's case. Each step in this sequence was required before the final execution date could be set.

Hasan was convicted by military court-martial in August 2013 for the November 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 soldiers. He was sentenced to death and transferred to death row at Fort Leavenworth. If carried out, this execution would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961, marking a 65-year gap in military capital punishment.

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Approval Timeline

Final date set after all legal and executive authorizations completed

The December 3 date concludes a structured approval sequence: Pentagon authorization, Trump administration approval, and Supreme Court's 2024 decision not to review. Each governmental step was prerequisite to setting the execution date. The timeline reflects institutional processes required before capital punishment can proceed in military justice.

Historical Significance

Execution ends 65-year gap in U.S. military capital punishment history

If executed as scheduled, Hasan's case would terminate the longest period without a military execution since 1961. The December 3 date marks the intersection of a historic conviction, appellate process completion, and modern military justice procedures. The execution represents a rare occurrence in contemporary U.S. military operations.