The Fort Hood killer, Nidal Hasan, committed his terror attack in 2009. He was sentenced to death in 2013. His time on this earth is coming to an end.

Back in September of 2025, Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he intended to have Hasan’s death sentence carried out. At that time, a Fort Hood survivor expressed his hope that the execution would actually take place.

Retired Army veteran Alonzo Lunsford was serving at Darnell Hospital on Fort Hood when, then Major Nidal Hasan, was waiting in the soldier readiness processing center.

“While I was at the front checking soldiers in, Major Hasan was sitting in the chair,” said Lunsford. “He was sitting in the by himself and rocking like this.”

Lunsford said Hasan opened fire after telling a civilian employee that someone wanted to see her.

“When I decided to leave out, something said turn around and check your six,” said Lunsford. “When I turned, he had the weapon on me like this right here. I turned my head to the side this way and the first round went in above my left eye, between my brain and my skull, and came out my left ear.”

He was then shot in the back twice before running to his vehicle to get a weapon and being shot several more times.

The news of Hasan’s possible execution is good news according to him.

“It’s ok to agree to disagree but to take somebody’s life that can’t defend themselves, that’s the lowest form of cowardice that I ever can imagine and he’s still living,” said Lunsford.

Lunsford found out later that he was in the same medivac helicopter with Hasan as they were taken to Scott & White Medical Center for treatment.

Hasan survived and Lunsford spoke with us on behalf of those who didn’t, like Francesca Velez.

“She was pregnant,” said Lunsford. “She told that man no, no, no, I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant. I heard the shots and the last thing that girl said was Oh my God, my baby, my baby, my baby.”

Lunsford went on to testify at the trial and attend all appeal hearings.

Private Francheska Velez died that day, along with her unborn child. That child should be at least 16 years old now. Instead, Nidal Hasan got those years to live in his prison cell – first waiting for his sentence, and then waiting over 13 years for his execution.

On Monday evening, the Pentagon announced that the execution had been approved by President Trump. And it will be a death by firing squad.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recommended — and President Donald J. Trump has approved — death by U.S. Army firing squad for convicted terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan, the jihadist who opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. He killed 13 people and wounded…

— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 5, 2026

Hasan killed 12 US service members, one civilian and wounded 32 others during his November 2009 rampage at the Texas Army base.

Parnell noted the Army-officer-turned-terrorist was “shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the attack.”

“The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution,” the Pentagon spokesman added. “Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.”

Hasan, who was sentenced to death by a military court in 2013, would be the first service member executed by the armed forces since 1961.

In February, Army officials reportedly circulated a plan to coordinate with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to carry out the executions of Hasan and the military’s three other death-row inmates.

Under the plan, dubbed “Operation Resolute Justice,” the death-row prisoners would be transferred to a facility in Indiana, where the executions would take place, according to ABC News.

Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire on troops who were standing in line to receive immunizations at Fort Hood.

The attack ended when Hasan was shot in the back and left paralyzed by a responding police officer.

At trial, Hasan told a military judge that he was defending “the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban.”

And just in case one might think that Hasan has repented at all for his actions since the terror attack or the trial, the answer is no.

In 2021, amid the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Hasan wrote a letter cheering on the Taliban.

“We Have Won!!!” Hasan wrote in the missive, according to Fox News.

“All-Praises be to All-Mighty Allah! Congratulations on your victory over those who hate for the Laws of All-Mighty God to be supreme on the land,” he added. “I pray to Allah that He helps you implement Shariah Law fully, correctly, and fairly.”

Secretary Hegseth only needed one word to express himself regarding the news.

Justice. https://t.co/MR9P2KBFPW

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 5, 2026

According to the law, now that the president has given his approval, the clock is officially ticking.

The time and place of the execution have not yet been announced, but Army policy outlines that executions must happen within 150 days of the president approving it, but no sooner than 60 days.

The other issue at hand is who will make the final decisions regarding the execution. Adam Telle became acting secretary at the beginning of September, and it is unknown if he would be the person to make these arrangements, or if there will be a wait until a new secretary is formally approved by the Senate. With as narrow a window as the law dictates, there may be no time to get a confirmation hearing done, which would mean Telle would be the secretary setting the date.

For those who lost loved ones, or were wounded, at Fort Hood, it has to feel that the path to justice has taken forever. With this decision, the end of the road is now in sight. Let’s hope that within the next two months, we will know the end date of this story.

UPDATE 7:50 PM PDT
December 3rd.

The execution of Nidal Hasan by firing squad will take place at Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, December 3rd, 2026, at 1 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/re7BpqkSN4

— Acting Secretary of the Army (@SecArmy) October 7, 2026

Interestingly, the execution will take place at Fort Hood instead of in Indiana – which I’m sure is completely intentional.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click