Killeen ISD announces districtwide closure ahead of Nidal Hasan execution

KILLEEN, Texas - Killeen Independent School District will close all schools and district facilities on Thursday, Dec. 3, in anticipation of heightened community activity and national media attention surrounding the scheduled execution of Nidal Hasan.

Nidal Hasan execution day

What we know:

Under the academic calendar update, neither students nor staff will report to school or work that day. The closure includes Manor Middle School, which is operated by Third Future Schools.

District officials said the decision was made as a precautionary safety measure in response to expected traffic and increased activity in the area tied to the Dec. 3 execution date. In a statement, the district noted the lasting impact of the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting tragedy on the Killeen community—particularly among military-connected families.

Killeen ISD is also reviewing extracurricular events scheduled for Dec. 3. Officials plan to limit activities that day to UIL competitions and varsity practices, with coaches and program sponsors contacting affected students and families with specific schedule updates.

District leaders acknowledged the calendar adjustment may create challenges for local families and thanked the community for its flexibility and understanding.

Fort Hood shooting in 2009

The Dec. 3 execution date stems from one of the deadliest mass shootings on a U.S. military installation and marks a rare use of capital punishment under the military justice system.

Timeline:

• Nov. 5, 2009: Hasan, then a 39-year-old Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire inside a Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others before civilian police shot and paralyzed him.
• August 2013: Representing himself at his court-martial, Hasan admitted to the attack. A military jury convicted him on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, unanimously sentencing him to death. He was dismissed from the Army and transferred to military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
• March 31, 2025: Following years of mandatory military appellate reviews that upheld his conviction and sentence, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Hasan's appeal.
• October 2026: Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a military death sentence cannot be carried out without direct presidential approval. Following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump approved Hasan's death sentence by firing squad. On Oct. 6, Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle formally scheduled the execution for Dec. 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. CST at Fort Hood.

If carried out as scheduled, Hasan's execution would be the first by the U.S. military since 1961 and the first military execution by firing squad since World War II. 

Legal experts have noted that Hasan still retains the right to seek habeas corpus review in civilian federal courts, which could potentially delay the Dec. 3 date.