How many people died in 9/11 attacks?
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, is a day that will always be remembered following the terrorist attacks that happened in the United States.
The year 2022 marks the 21st anniversary of the attacks and Americans continue to remember the lives that were lost to this day.
How many people died in the 9/11 attacks?
9/11 was a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks reportedly funded by al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden.
After hijacking four US passenger jets, the terrorists set course for Washington D.C. and New York City.
On that day, 2,996 people lost their lives between the attacks at the Pentagon, World Trade Center, and the Twin Towers.
The breakdown of the deaths includes:
- 19 terrorist hijackers
- 2,763 civilians at the World Trade Center
- 189 people at the Pentagon
- 44 people on Flight 93
Along with almost 3,000 deaths, another 25,000 were injured as a result.
Following the attacks, President George W. Bush sent troops over to Afghanistan to track down bin Laden, where he remained at large until May 2, 2011.
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After his death, former President Barack Obama announced that he would begin withdrawing troops from the country, which was completed in August 2021.
Was there a fourth plane?
While only three planes crashed into buildings, there was a fourth plane that was hijacked by the terrorists.
United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic flight scheduled to fly from New Jersey to San Francisco that was hijacked shortly after taking off.
Following the quick actions of the 40 civilians on the plane, they were able to crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
While all 44 passengers, including the four hijackers, were killed, they prevented the flight from reaching its target.
To this day, experts are still unsure of its intended target but many assume it was either The White House or the U.S. Capitol Building.
Did President Joe Biden order the release of classified 9/11 documents?
As part of President Biden's campaign, he promised to work on releasing 9/11 records so that Americans could know the whole truth.
Approaching the 20th anniversary, many families had previously stated that they did not want Biden at Ground Zero unless he released the information the government had previously blocked.
On September 3, 2021, Biden then signed an executive order, giving the Attorney General six months to declassify the documents.
“Information collected and generated in the United States Government's investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks should now be disclosed, except when the strongest possible reasons counsel otherwise,” Biden said in a statement.
"The executive order requires the Attorney General to release the declassified documents publicly over the next six months."
"My heart continues to be with the 9/11 families who are suffering, and my Administration will continue to engage respectfully with members of this community. I welcome their voices and insight as we chart a way forward," Biden continued.
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The documents are expected to contain information regarding Saudi Arabia's involvement in the attacks as families look to sue the country, claiming they were complicit.
“As we near the 20th anniversary of that terrible day, the families of those who were killed, and all Americans, have a right to know the full story, and the passage of time has mitigated concerns over sources and methods,” Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee added.