Attack on the Twin Towers
Artifacts from the Attack on the Twin Towers
Along with firearm fragments, this singular handcuff was recovered from the World Trade Center site in New York by the ATF evidence team, whose field office was demolished by the collapsing North Tower.
Loan, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Fresh Kills landfill, the debris processing site on State Island, screened roughly 1.5 million tons of debris from Ground Zero. These communication devices were used by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Marx, who led the Evidence Response Team.
Loan, The FBI Experience, FBI HQ, Washington, DC
Items left behind in New York City, including the two recovered shoes and plastic rabbit toy shown here, are poignant reminders of the everyday lives of both victims and survivors, often serving as the only evidence of someone’s presence that day.
Loan, Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, Arlington, VA
Thousands of personal items, including damaged cell phones and pagers, were found in the debris at Ground Zero. In the days following the attacks, these buried devices continued to ring as loved ones frantically reached out.
Loan, The FBI Experience, FBI HQ, Washington, DC
Recovery operations at both Ground Zero and at Fresh Kills were not just about finding human remains, but about collecting evidence and preserving personal history. These shoe scraps, stuffed animal, and clothing were recovered from Ground Zero.
Loan, Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, Arlington, VA
Although steel is most commonly associated with the Twin Towers, the buildings were constructed of many types of material. Decorative stones, like the pink granite shown here, were found strewn throughout the wreckage.
Loan, The FBI Experience, FBI HQ, Washington, DC
The original World Trade Center Towers, completed in 1972-1973, were constructed of approximately 200,000 tons of structural steel and soared into New York’s skyline at 110 stories high.
Loan, United States Marshals Museum
This aircraft fragment was recovered from Ground Zero. It is unknown whether this fragment was from American Airlines Flight 11, which struck the North Tower at 8:46 am, or United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower at 9:03 am.
Loan, The FBI Experience, FBI HQ, Washington, DC