Military panel finds Hasan guilty of murder in Fort Hood shooting

FORT HOOD, Texas, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- A military jury Friday convicted Army Maj. Nidal Hasan of premeditated murder and premeditated attempted murder in the 2009 Fort Hood, Texas, massacre.

The jury of 13 officers found Hasan guilty during the second day of deliberations.

Hasan was found guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the Nov. 5, 2009, rampage, making him eligible for the death penalty, CNN reported.

Before the verdict Col. Tara Osborn, the military judge, ordered those in the courtroom to remain calm, CNN said.

The panel ended deliberations Thursday after asking the presiding judge two questions. They requested a read-back of testimony from Mark Todd, a police officer who responded to the shootings, and asked to see a map of buildings at Fort Hood, the network said.

Hasan, who acted as his own attorney but did not offer a defense, was left paralyzed from the waist down when wounded during the attack.

Hasan also declined to make a statement during closing arguments.

Prosecutors told the panel the evidence showed Hasan intended to kill as many soldiers as possible as part of a jihadist attack.

"There is no doubt, as I said in the beginning, the accused is the shooter," Col. Steven Henricks told the panel.

"The only question for you is ... is this a premeditated design to kill?"

Osborn barred Hasan from putting on the defense he wanted -- that he acted to prevent more killing in an illegal war in Afghanistan.