Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham on Thursday revealed the identities of the victims of the 2001 World Trade Center attack, according to a press release from the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). I made it.

The victim was John Ballantine Niven of Oyster Bay, New York. press release Said. Thanks to cutting-edge DNA analysis of remains found in the aftermath of the attack, which claimed 2,753 lives, he was recognized as the 1,650th individual positively identified by OCME, the release said.

According to OCME, Mr. Adams addressed the media and emphasized the importance of this breakthrough. “The pain of the huge losses of September 11th will never go away, but the possibility of new identifications could bring comfort to the families of the victims,” ​​the mayor said, according to OCME. He also praised OCME's tireless efforts to memorialize Niven and all the other victims of his fateful day, the release said.

Dr. Graham detailed the process and emphasized OCME's continued commitment to harnessing the latest technological advances to bring answers to families, according to the release. “This new identification is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our agency and the determination of our scientists,” he said, OCME said. (Related: 'Hard to Watch': 9/11 Victim's Son Slams TikToker Sharing Osama Bin Laden's Letter)

Long Island man identified as 1,650th 9/11 victim https://t.co/7foWIhljGy

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OCME said the identification of 9/11 victims was made possible by ongoing DNA testing techniques on remains first recovered in 2001. OCME continues its quest to identify more victims as scientific methods evolve, the press release added. OCME has revealed that the use of recently developed sequencing technology, which has improved sensitivity and speed compared to traditional DNA methods, is aiding in modern identification.

Despite this progress, the challenges remain daunting. According to OCME, about 1,103 people, or 40% of the total victims, are still unidentified. In September 2023, OCME honored the families' wishes to keep their names private and secured identification for two more people, the release said. OCME said it regularly updates operational statistics related to the World Trade Center investigation and will make them available upon request.