In a harrowing incident from 2009, Nidal Hassan, a physician serving in the U.S. military, embarked on a murderous rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, claiming the lives of 13 individuals. Subsequently, Hassan confessed to his crimes and received a death sentence.
This week, as his case is set to be reviewed by an appellate court, the potential outcome could lead to his execution. Should this transpire, it would mark the first military execution since 1961.
First Military Execution in Over Six Decades May Be Imminent
The United States may be on the verge of carrying out its first military execution in over 60 years.
A former soldier convicted for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, faces the possibility of execution, pending the outcome of a hearing by the country’s highest military court.
Former Army Major Nidal Hasan, aged 52, is scheduled to have his case presented before the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces this Tuesday. The incident in question is widely regarded as the most lethal mass shooting to ever occur on a U.S. military base.
ForksTalk Newswatch: 2009 Fort Hood Shooter Could Face Execution – Would be First Military Execution Since 1961:
Back in 2009, Nidal Hassan, a doctor in the U.S. Military, went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people in the… https://t.co/h4uqnFe7g4 pic.twitter.com/S3LtzeT0Be
— ForksTalk (@TalkForks) April 2, 2023
On the fateful day of November 5, 2009, Hasan stormed into a readiness processing facility at the Texas military base.
He unleashed a hail of bullets, taking the lives of 13 people—one of whom was a pregnant soldier—and leaving 32 others injured. During his 2013 court-martial, Hasan confessed to the heinous act and was consequently sentenced to death.
Verdict Expected to Proceed to Supreme Court
Should Hasan ultimately be executed, this would represent the first military execution since 1961. In that year, former soldier John Bennett was hanged following his conviction for rape and attempted murder of a young girl.
No military death row inmates have been put to death since 1961, when Pvt. John Bennett was hanged for raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old girl https://t.co/aiZACcc4ym
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) August 12, 2019
The upcoming hearing on Tuesday signifies the subsequent phase in the protracted military appeals procedure. Despite the hearing’s outcome, the timeline for a potential execution remains ambiguous.
Richard Dieter, the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, conveyed to Military Times that there are numerous possible outcomes, stating, “I would say a lot could happen.”
After a verdict is determined, the case is expected to proceed to the Supreme Court. Additionally, the president’s input is necessary for deciding the ultimate outcome for the former soldier.
In their capacity as commander in chief, the president is obligated to either affirm the execution sentence or commute it, which would most likely result in a life sentence behind bars.
This article appeared in TheDailyBeat and has been published here with permission.
