President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.
The U.S. military has not carried out the death penalty since 1961. The Army secretary will decide a time and place for the execution, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X.
“Judgement day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell wrote.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, walked into a medical building where soldiers were getting medical checkups, shouted “Allahu akbar” — Arabic for “God is great!” — and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 injured.
He said it was an effort to stop them from going to Afghanistan and killing his fellow Muslims and made almost no effort to defend himself at trial. He told jurors that evidence would show he was the shooter and described himself as a soldier who had “switched sides.”
Trump’s approval triggers a series of procedural steps toward carrying out the execution, but Hasan could put them on hold — potentially for years — with a habeas corpus appeal in the civilian federal court system, according to an article published in May in the magazine Army Lawyer.
Death sentences are extremely rare in the military justice system, and executions even rarer. Four men, including Hasan, are currently on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. President George W. Bush approved the execution Army Spc. Ronald Gray in 2008 but it was put on hold by a judge and he remains at Leavenworth.
The last man executed in the military system was Pvt. John Bennett, hanged in 1961 for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Trump approved the firing squad execution days after a failed attempt to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection pushed Tennessee’s governor to halt further executions this year and order an independent review.
Trump resumed the federal death penalty after an informal moratorium during previous administrations. The federal government executed 13 people between 2020 and early 2021, contributing to making Trump the most prolific execution president in over 130 years.
Asked whether the botched execution in Tennessee would lead him to seek changes to capital punishment, Trump said it was “an interesting situation.”
“It shouldn’t be very difficult,” Trump said of carrying out lethal injections.
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Central Nebraska Regional Airport, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Grand Island, Neb. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Sloppy defense put the New York Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Four errors and another defensive miscue led to three unearned runs that a lineup missing three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge couldn't overcome during a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of their AL Division Series on Monday night.
The Yankees are one defeat from falling short of a 28th World Series title for the 17th straight season.
“Obviously, a really rough night to say the least for us,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve got to get over it. We’ve responded all year to difficult times, and we’ve got to do that again. We’ve got to get ourselves up off the mat.”
Even with likely AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler on the mound, the Yankees couldn't even the best-of-five series against the pesky Rays.
The small-ball Rays chased Schlittler in the fifth, aided by New York’s miscues in the field as the Yankees' defense unraveled the same way it did in the team's most recent World Series game two years ago against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I'm not disappointed in the defense. I'm not disappointed in the offense,” Schlittler said. “I'm disappointed in myself.”
Jonathan Aranda lined a single off Schlittler to start the bottom of the fifth and Junior Caminero ripped a double to right-center. With the infield drawn-in except second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was standing several feet further back on the dirt, Liam Hicks hit a slow bouncer to second that scored Aranda for a 2-1 lead. Chisholm’s only play was at first because he wasn’t all the way in like the rest of the infielders.
Chandler Simpson then hit a grounder that rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. flubbed, scoring Caminero to make it 3-1. It was initially ruled a hit and then changed to an error and eventually a fielder’s choice. Brent Headrick replaced Schlittler and struck out Victor Mesa Jr. After Simpson stole second, Jonny DeLuca reached on a grounder when Lombard’s throw to first was wide for New York’s fourth error.
Richie Palacios followed with a two-run single to center that increased Tampa Bay’s lead to 5-1.
“It was just one of those things that it all happened back-to-back-to-back,” Lombard said.
Ben Rice connected for his second homer of the game in the eighth, but that wasn't enough. New York's Nos. 3 through 7 batters are 0 for 33 in the two games.
“You've got to be confident even when you go down 2-0,” Rice said. “You've got to take it game by game, at-bat by at-bat.”
The night started poorly for the Yankees. New York became the first team to commit three errors in the first inning of a postseason game since the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1975 American League Championship Series against Boston, according to Sportsnet Stats.
Third baseman Ryan McMahon misplayed a bouncer by Yandy Díaz to begin the bottom of the first. After Aranda singled, Caminero hit a bouncer up the middle. Lombard fielded the ball behind the bag and flipped to second for a forceout, but Chisholm’s ill-advised, off-balance throw to first sailed wide, allowing Díaz to score and Caminero to reach second.
Hicks struck out but reached on catcher’s interference, with an error charged to Austin Wells. The 21-year-old Lombard then saved Chisholm from another error when he extended to catch a high toss to second following a sharp grounder by Simpson. Lombard came off the bag and quickly reached back with his leg to beat Hicks and get the second out.
Schlittler retired Mesa on a grounder to prevent more damage.
“Some good defenders that didn’t make a couple plays,” Boone said. “We've got to get over it, though. As simple as that. I mean, we can’t dwell on what just happened to us. We’ve got to come ready, again playing for our lives on Wednesday night, and I expect this team to do that.
“We’ve stared a lot of uncertainty in the face all year and these guys have responded time and time again and we need to do that again right now.”
The Yankees infamously fell apart on defense in the fifth inning of Game 5 in the 2024 World Series. Leading 5-0 with Gerrit Cole on the mound, New York committed two errors and a mental lapse while allowing five unearned runs to score, and the Dodgers went on to win the game and clinch the championship.
“It didn’t seem like we really showed up today,” Schlittler said before walking that statement back and reiterating his frustration over the way he pitched.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler leaves Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz (2) is congratulated by manager Kevin Cash after scoring during the first inning in Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the New York Yankees Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone prepares for the start of Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler throws during the first inning in Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., right, flips over Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda, left, while committing a throwing error allowing Rays' Yandy Díaz to score during the first inning in Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
