BREAKING: Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan to Face Firing Squad in Historic US Military Execution

Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 unarmed soldiers and injured 32 others in a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, is set to be executed by firing squad, according to military officials. The execution, approved by the US Army, would be the first firing squad execution in the US military since 1961 and the first military execution since 1961. No date has been set, but the decision marks a rare and controversial use of capital punishment in the military justice system.

Hasan, who was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death, carried out the deadliest non-combat attack on a US military base. The shooting prompted widespread debate over whether it should be classified as terrorism, and Hasan's radical Islamic views were cited during his trial. The military's decision to use a firing squad, rather than lethal injection, is unusual; the last military firing squad execution was in 1961, and the method was last used by the US military in World War Two. The case has been mired in legal appeals for years, and the execution could still face further delays.

The announcement has reignited discussions about the death penalty in the military and the treatment of mental health in the armed forces. Some victims' families have expressed relief, while others oppose the execution on moral or legal grounds. The execution, if carried out, would be a significant moment in US military justice, drawing international attention and potentially influencing future military death penalty cases. The US Department of Defense has not commented on the specific timing or method.