A military jury has returned a guilty verdict on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder against Maj. Nidal Hasan, the U.S. Army psychiatrist accused in the November 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood.
The attack at the Texas military base killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Hasan, who acted as his own attorney during the trial, now faces the death penalty by lethal injection. The jury is scheduled to begin the penalty phase of the court martial on Monday.
According to The Associated Press:
"Through media leaks and statements to the judge, the American-born Muslim signaled that he believed the attack was justified as a way to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders from U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq."
As we reported earlier, Hasan's trial has been fraught with drama. In July, there were rumors that Hasan wanted to plead guilty, but under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which governs courts martial, guilty pleas are barred in capital cases.
NPR's Martin Kaste reported earlier this month at the opening of his trial that Hasan conceded that "the evidence will clearly show I am the shooter," but that he seemed intent on using the proceedings to "vent his religious and ideological beliefs."
As the trial progressed, the attorneys assigned to assist him asked to be removed from the case because they were convinced Hasan was set on receiving the death penalty.
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