Nidal Malik Hasan was born on September 8, 1970, at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington County, Virginia. His parents were naturalized American citizens who originally came from al-Bireh, a city in the West Bank near Jerusalem. Hasan grew up in a Muslim family with two younger brothers. They lived in Arlington for the early part of his childhood.

In 1985, Hasan attended Wakefield High School in Arlington for his freshman year. The following year, his family moved to Roanoke, Virginia. His father had already moved there a year earlier to establish family-owned businesses, which included a market, a restaurant, and an olive bar. Nidal graduated from William Fleming High School in Roanoke in 1988.

Hasan’s father passed away in 1998 at the age of 51, and his mother died three years later at the age of 49. After the deaths of his parents, one of Hasan's brothers remained in Virginia, while the other moved to the Palestinian Territories.

After high school, Hasan enlisted in the United States Army in 1988. While serving, he attended college and earned an associate degree in science from Virginia Western Community College in 1992. Later, in 1995, he graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. Hasan completed both degrees with Latin honors.

In 1997, he became an officer in the Army Medical Department and enrolled at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Hasan faced challenges during his medical education. He was on academic probation for much of the six years it took him to finish the four-year medical school program. He graduated in 2003.

Following graduation, Hasan completed his internship and residency in psychiatry at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. During his residency, he received additional counseling and supervision.

He was raised in the Muslim faith and became more devout after experiencing the early loss of his parents. Some family members noted that he felt discriminated against due to his religion and ethnicity. Hasan's cousin mentioned that he did not express radical or anti-American views during his youth.

On November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan carried out a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. During the attack, Hasan reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire on soldiers and civilians in the Soldier Readiness Center. He killed thirteen people and injured over thirty others, making it the deadliest shooting at a U.S. military base.

The attack lasted about ten minutes, during which Hasan used two firearms: an FN Five-seveN pistol and a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver. He shot several individuals before being engaged by Department of the Army police officer Kimberly D. Munley. Munley returned fire but was shot in the leg. Another officer, Mark Todd, then shot Hasan multiple times, ultimately subduing him.

After the shooting, Hasan was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. He was initially reported to be in a coma but later regained consciousness. On November 13, his attorney released information stating that he was paralyzed from the waist down due to spinal injuries from gunshot wounds.

Following his recovery, Hasan faced a military court-martial. He was charged with thirteen counts of premeditated murder and thirty-two counts of attempted murder. During the trial, Hasan represented himself and acknowledged that he was the attacker, claiming that he had "switched sides" to fight against the U.S. military in what he described as a jihad.

On August 23, 2013, the military jury found Hasan guilty on all charges, making him eligible for the death penalty. The jury recommended a death sentence for the crime. Following his conviction, he was sent to the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to await execution.