SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a Scotch Plains mother is reflecting on her son's death and the pain that still remains for families whose loved ones have never been identified.
Matthew Horning was 26 when he was killed on Sept. 11, 2001, according to a special message published by Scotch Plains for the anniversary. His mother, Diane Horning, used the township's weekly council column to remember him and discuss what the anniversary means to her family.
"I usually try to speak this day about memories and a positive impact," Horning wrote, "but this anniversary has made me realize that some truths about what happened 25 years ago have started to fade."
The Sept. 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, including 2,753 in New York City, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes in the coordinated attacks.
New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Aug. 24 that 1,654 World Trade Center victims have been identified through analysis of remains recovered from the attacks. Another 1,099 victims, or about 40% of those killed in New York, remain unidentified.
Horning wrote that the Scotch Plains community's continued support has mattered deeply to her family. The township also identified Matthew Horning among the Scotch Plains residents lost in the attacks as part of its 2026 remembrance.
"I do feel your love and support," she wrote, adding that the township memorial remains especially meaningful to families like hers.
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