Fort Hood Shooter Guilty, May Face Death Penalty

Nidal Hasan found guilty on all counts in 2009 attack
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 23, 2013 12:51 PM CDT
Fort Hood Shooter Guilty, May Face Death Penalty
In this courtroom sketch, US Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is shown during closing arguments Thursday. He chose not to give any in his own behalf.   (AP Photo/Brigitte Woosley)

Nidal Hasan seems to have gotten the verdict he wanted: The jury in the Fort Hood shooting trial has found him guilty on all counts, reports AP. That makes the former Army psychiatrist—who chose to act as his own attorney, but did very little actual lawyering during the trial—eligible for the death penalty. Hasan admitted in his opening statement that he was the shooter in the 2009 rampage that left 13 people dead and more than 30 injured.

Next up is the sentencing phase of the military trial, and prosecutors intend to press for the death penalty. They have argued that Hasan carefully planned the attack and tried to kill as many soldiers as possible. The big question is whether Hasan will address the jury and make a plea that his life be spared. Jurors deliberated less than seven hours before finding Hasan guilty of 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder, reports CNN. (More Nidal Malik Hasan stories.)

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