THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM HONORS VICTIMS OF THE 1993 WORLD TRAD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, February 25, 2024
THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM HONORS VICTIMS OF THE 1993 WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING IN SOLEMN CERMONY
First Terror Attack on WTC Killed Six People and Injured More Than 1,000
New York, NY - February 25, 2024 - The 9/11 Memorial & Museum together with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will remember the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing on the 31st anniversary of the terrorist attack.
A moment of silence will be observed at 12:18 p.m., the time of the terror strike that killed John DiGiovanni, Robert Kirkpatrick, Stephen Knapp, William Macko, Wilfredo Mercado, and Monica Rodriguez Smith, and her unborn child. Each victim’s name will be read aloud by family members during the annual ceremony attended by victims’ relatives, survivors, friends, and others.
Ceremony attendees will honor the lives lost by placing roses on the victims’ names that are inscribed on the Memorial’s North Pool, near where One World Trade Center stands today. The six names appear alongside those of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
“Thirty-one years ago, this day was marked by violence and loss. Today, we remember and commemorate the lives ended by that tragic moment in our history. The names of Monica, Wilfredo, William, Stephen, Robert, and John will never be forgotten, and through ceremonies like today’s, we can ensure that their memories live on forever,” said Elizabeth L. Hillman, President & CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “Here at the Memorial & Museum, we are honored to share stories about, and memories of, these six people with the millions of visitors who come each year to pay their respects and learn more. We look forward to continuing that work and doing our part to help individuals, families, and communities heal from the trauma of terrorism.”
Thirty-one years ago on February 26, 1993, terrorists detonated approximately 1,200 pounds of explosives inside a rental van in the underground parking garage at the World Trade Center. Among the victims, Kirkpatrick, Knapp, Macko, and Smith were Port Authority employees. Mercado worked for Windows on the World restaurant and was checking in food deliveries, while DiGiovanni was a dental supply salesman visiting the building at the time of the blast. Some Port Authority personnel with specialized knowledge of the building remained in the towers to help first responders with the response and rescue, resulting in the safe evacuation of nearly 50,000 people.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is uniquely positioned to help educate those who did not live through this first attack at the World Trade Center, as well as those born since 9/11 to ensure we never forget. To learn more information about the 1993 attack you can visit 911memorial.org. To learn more about the arrangement of names go to names.911memorial.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is the nonprofit organization that oversees operations for the 9/11 Memorial and 9/11 Memorial Museum. Located on eight of the 16 acres of the World Trade Center site, the Memorial and Museum remember and honor the 2,983 people who were killed in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The Memorial plaza design consists of two reflecting pools formed in the footprints of the original Twin Towers surrounded by swamp white oak trees. The Museum displays more than 900 personal and monumental objects while its collection includes more than 67,500 items that present intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery linked to the events of 9/11 and the aftermath The Museum also explores the global impact of 9/11 and its continuing significance through education programs, public programs, live talks and film features that cover contemporary topics designed for diverse audiences. For more information or to reserve a ticket to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, please visit 911memorial.org.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Erin Gaddis | (214) 673-9435 | press@911memorial.org
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