How many people reportedly died in the 9/11 tragedy? Drone show recreates Twin Towers ahead of 25th anniversary & honors the victims

A drone show recreated the Twin Towers as a tribute to the 9/11 victims on Wednesday, September 9. The drones were used to form an outline of the Twin Towers that fell in the tragic incident 25 years ago.

September 11, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic 9/11 attacks in the US that shocked the world. In the terrorist attacks, two planes flew directly into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York. Two other planes crashed into the Pentagon and a rural field in Pennsylvania, respectively.

The attacks caused a huge casualty count, as all four planes were passenger planes that were hijacked. According to ABC News, 2977 people were killed in the horrific attacks. Moreover, 19 terrorists committed the suicide attacks by hijacking the planes.

To honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks, a drone show was held in New York on Wednesday. The organizers titled the artwork "2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor", with one light depicting each victim.

The drones formed a full-scale depiction of the Twin Towers over the New York harbor. It was a free public event and was made in collaboration with the first responders and the loved ones of the victims of the attacks.

The people involved in the artwork include Brenda Berkman, an FDNY first responder and artist; Tim Brown, an FDNY first responder in 1993 and 2001; Terry Strada, president of 9/11 Families United and the widow of Tom Strada; Jim Smith, whose wife, NYPD Officer Moira Smith, was killed in the attacks; and Genevieve Siller, daughter of Stephen Siller.

Families of victims of the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the Twin Towers open up about delays in the conviction of the accused

According to the BBC, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was named the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. He and his co-defendants have sat through multiple pre-trials, but haven't been convicted so far.

The outlet spoke to the families of some of the victims who suffered in the attacks about the situation. Tom Resta's brother, John, and his wife, Sylvia, were killed at the Twin Towers due to the attacks. He said that he had visited Guantanamo Bay to see the pre-trials for Mohammed.

Resta said that his family had been hoping to witness their conviction for years and added:

"My father will be 98 in November, and I don't think he's expecting to see it. I have a lot of family members - aunts, uncles - that would all like to see it happen. But my parents in particular, I don't think they expect to live long enough."

Stephen Gerhardt, whose brother Ralph died in the attacks, also spoke about the delays in the conviction of the alleged mastermind and said:

"They're [Mohammed & his co-defendants] getting elderly… I don't want them to pass away without being convicted, because that would be an injustice to all the family members - that we captured these people, but we never got to try them and convict them for the mass murder that they did of our loved ones."

The trial was initially set for 2028. The BBC reports that the main reason for the delays was the torture methods applied to Mohammed and his co-defendants. This has also led to some evidence being inadmissible for trial.

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Also Read: Rudy Giuliani shares posts praising his 9/11 response as Jon Stewart and Zohran Mamdani reveal NYC leaders “lied” about air quality impact

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