Families leave tributes to those lives lost at the 9/11 memorial. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
New York City's chief medical examiner has identified two more 9/11 victims, just days before the country prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks.
Why it matters: 40% of those who died in New York, or 1,106 victims, remain unidentified, per NBC New York. Identifications are still being made thanks to advances in DNA testing.
Details: One of the victims named was Dorothy Morgan from Long Island, and the other victim's name is being withheld at the request of the family.
- They are the 1,646th and 1,647th people to be identified in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
- Morgan's identity was confirmed through DNA testing from 2001, the other victim was confirmed through DNA testing remains recovered in 2001, 2002 and 2006.
Background: They are the first victims identified since October 2019.
What they're saying: “Twenty years ago, we made a promise to the families of World Trade Center victims to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to identify their loved ones, and with these two new identifications, we continue to fulfill that sacred obligation," Dr. Barbara Sampson, New York City's Chief Medical Examiner, said in a statement on Tuesday.
- “No matter how much time passes since September 11, 2001, we will never forget, and we pledge to use all the tools at our disposal to make sure all those who were lost can be reunited with their families,” Sampson added.
- “We continue to push the science out of necessity to make more identifications,” Mark Desire, assistant director of the OCME Department of Forensic Biology and manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team, said in a statement to NBC.