22 Years Later, The 9/11 Death Toll Continues To Grow

Americans from all walks of life and across the political spectrum found common ground yesterday to remember the lives lost and families destroyed on one tragic day 22 years earlier.

The number of 9/11 deaths most commonly cited is just under 3,000, reflecting the men, women, and children either aboard the hijacked jets or in the buildings targeted by the terrorists.

That number has continued to increase with each passing year.

The memorial wall

At Ground Zero in New York City, mourners can pay tribute to the heinous incident that brought down the World Trade Center buildings on Sept. 11, 2001. A wall at the site bears the names of those who died as a result of the attack, and 43 new names were added to it this year alone.

A running tally of the New York firefighters who have died after 9/11 as a result of injuries or illnesses sustained on that day is now up to 331. That number is particularly notable since it is almost as high as the number of firefighters who died at the scene.

The group of names officially added to the wall last week also represents the second-largest number added in a single year. In 2011, a total of 55 names were added.

“We will never forget them”

Laura Kavanagh is the current New York City fire commissioner and delivered a heartfelt tribute to all of the names engraved on the wall.

"Each year, this memorial wall grows as we honor those who gave their lives in service of others,” she said. “These brave men and women showed up that day, and in the days and months following the attacks to participate in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site. We will never forget them."

Chris Agee September 12th, 2023

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