Former Army Major Sentenced to Execution by Firing Squad

Why it matters locally: This national news story about a former Army major's execution by firing squad is relevant to Alaska given the state's significant military presence, including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), and the implications for military justice nationwide.

Nidal Malik Hasan, a former U.S. Army major, will be executed by firing squad for his role in the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan's actions resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to 32 others. Hasan received a death sentence in 2013 following his conviction for the premeditated murders. The method of execution marks the first time the U.S. military has used a firing squad in 65 years. Then-President Trump approved the execution method. Military law allows for execution by lethal injection, firing squad, or hanging. The U.S. government maintains an execution chamber at Terre Haute, Indiana, for federal death row inmates. However, military executions typically occur at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The U.S. military has 20 individuals on death row. The last military execution occurred in 1961.