Nidal Hasan gets death penalty for Fort Hood massacre

A military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death Wednesday for killing 13 soldiers in a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas.

The 13-member panel heard 45 minutes of emotional closing arguments from the government before beginning its deliberations earlier Wednesday afternoon.

More from GlobalPost: Fort Hood shooter guilty of murder, jury to weigh death penalty

Hasan, who has represented himself throughout the proceedings, had no closing statement.

He also had no visible reaction when the verdict was read, staring first at the jury forewoman and then the judge.

The Virginia-born Muslim has admitted to the massacre from the start, telling jurors "I am the shooter" during opening arguments and asking for the death penalty so he could become a martyr.

He claimed he carried out the shooting to defend members of the Taliban from an “illegal war.”

Prosecutors said Hasan targeted "those wearing the uniform" during his rampage because he did not want to be deployed.

More from GlobalPost: Hasan tells Fort Hood jurors: 'I am the shooter' (VIDEO)

They claimed he methodically prepared for the attack by practicing at a local shooting range, making frequent visits to a gun store to stock up on ammunition and studying the schedule of the building he carried out the shooting in.

The mass shooting on Nov. 5, 2009, shocked the nation.

Dressed in fatigues, Hassan shouted “Allahu akbar” (“God is great” in Arabic) before opening fire inside a crowded waiting room where soldiers were completing medical tests before deploying overseas.