More 9/11 victims identified nearly 24 years after attacks
Ryan Fitzgerald of Floral Park, New York, Barbara Keating of Palm Springs, California, and an adult woman whose name is being withheld at the request of her family, have been positively identified through DNA analysis, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) said in a release.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Graham said in the release that OCME's "commitment to identify the missing and return them to their loved ones stands as strong as ever."
'Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time. We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost," Graham said.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum also acknowledged OCME's "tireless efforts" in a social media post.
"As the anniversary of the attacks nears, we extend our deepest gratitude to the OCME for this enduring commitment to all the families to ensuring the world never forgets," the post said.
Ryan Fitzgerald: 'Man on the town'
Ryan Fitzgerald, 26, was working as a foreign currency trader in the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks, according to 9/11 Living Memorial.
He was from Floral Park, a Long Island town less than 20 miles east of Manhattan. His obituary described him as "a man on the town" who had just moved to the city.
The oldest of three children, Fitzgerald was "tall and blessed with gleaming blue eyes," according to his obituary.
"He adored the Yankees and the Dave Matthews Band and enjoyed living slightly beyond his means," his obituary said.
Fitzgerald's last credit card bill, which his mother, Diane Parks, opened the month after his death, showed hints of his lifestyle, from Banana Republic purchases to golf games in Las Vegas.
"It made me feel good that he enjoyed the summer because it was the last summer of his life," Parks said in her son's obituary.
Barbara Keating: 'She was always doing something for somebody'
Barbara Keating, 72, had just left a visit with her grandchildren in Massachusetts and was heading back to California on American Airlines Flight 11 when she was killed Sept. 11, 2001.
A longtime Cape Cod resident, Keating moved to Palm Springs after her husband died. She had five children, 12 grandchildren and worked in public service for more than two decades, according to her obituary.
In California, Keating "drove a red Sebring convertible and went to church every day," her obituary said.
"She was a wonderful woman, always had a smile on her face," said Rev. Philip Behan, pastor of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Palm Springs, in Keating's obituary. She worked as a receptionist at the parish office, her obituary said.
"She drove people for cancer treatments," Eunice Maloney, one of Keating's longtime friends, said in her obituary. "She was always doing something for somebody, but she never said much about it."
How many 9/11 victims have been identified?
With the new identifications, a total of 1,653 victims have been identified through DNA analysis, which represents just over half of the 2,753 people killed at the World Trade Center.
These are the first new identifications since 2024, OCME said.
In total, 2,977 people died in the attacks, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. In addition to the New York victims, 184 people were killed at the Pentagon and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
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