Residents comfort each other after attending a candlelight vigil at the Maple Valley Baptist Church for the victims in the explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Nunnelly, Tenn.

The 16 victims who died in the blast at an explosives plant in Tennessee spanned generations, with some nearing the end of decades-long careers while others were just starting out in life.

The victims' names were publicly released by authorities during a press briefing outside the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) gates in Bucksnort on Oct. 13.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis and Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft read the names together, with each man alternating.

Here's what we know so far about each victim.

Jason Adams

Adams had worked at Accurate Energetic Systems for 30 years. He reached the three-decade mark on Dec. 19, 2024, according to a 2024 Facebook post from AES celebrating employee work anniversaries.

Adam Boatman

Boatman, a graduate of McEwen High School, is survived by his twin brother, Ben, according to social media posts.

Erick Anderson

Anderson had worked at AES since June 22, 2021, according to a 2023 AES Facebook post celebrating his two-year work anniversary.

Billy Baker

Baker had worked at AES since June 25, 2006, according to a 2023 AES Facebook post celebrating his 17 years with the company. He was a departments manager, according to his LinkedIn page.

Christopher Clark

Clark began working at AES on July 2, 2020, according to a 2023 Facebook post from the company celebrating his three years with the company.

Mindy Clifton

Clifton moved to Tennessee after retiring from a career in corrections in Florida, according to a Facebook post from Volusia County, Florida Councilman Matt Reinhart. Reinhart said Clifton took a job at the munitions plant as part of her “post-retirement” life. Reinhart called Clifton “one of the very best” he ever worked with in corrections.

James Cook

Cook began working at AES on Aug.17, 2010, according to a 2017 Facebook post from the company. Cook's Facebook page states he went to Big Sandy High School and lived in McEwen.

Reyna Gillahan

Nashville TV station WSMV spoke with Gillahan’s son Marco Gillahan after the explosion at AES. Marco Gillahan said his mother was “a hard worker who sacrificed for her family, with her primary goal being to pay off the family home,” WSMV reported.

LaTeisha Mays

WSMV reported that Mays was 26 and worked for AES for eight months. Mays' family called her "the glue to our family" and "amazing," the TV station reported.

Jeremy Moore

Moore began working at AES on March 25, 2008, according to a 2018 Facebook post from the company. Moore’s Facebook page says he went to McEwen High School and lived in McEwen.

Melissa Stanford

Stanford was a production supervisor at AES starting in September 2018, according to Stanford’s social media. She lived in McEwen, Tennessee and attended Waverly Central High School.

Trenton Stewart

Stewart was weeks away from his wedding after proposing to his fiancé in December, according to social media posts. In addition to working production at AES, he pastored a small nondenominational church in Waverly called The Log Church and was a firefighter at the Waverly Department of Public Safety – Police & Fire.

Rachel Woodall

Woodall was a production operator at AES, where she just started working more than a month ago, according to Woodall’s social media. She lived in McEwen and attended McEwen High School, where she graduated in 2016. Woodall, or “Rayray” as she referred to herself on Facebook, said on social media “I live in a small town, love art (drawing and painting) and scenery.”

Donald Yowell

Yowell lived in Waverly and prior to working at AES was an operations manufacturing leader for Innophos, a chemical manufacturing company. Yowell worked at Innophos until March 2025, according to a LinkedIn page. “I lead the operations of a global leader in specialty phosphates for over 3 years,” Yowell said in a LinkedIn description. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois.

The Tennessean is still working to find information about victims Steven Wright and Melinda Rainey.

Reporters Austin Hornbostel and Beth Warren contributed.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What we know about the 16 people who died in Tennessee plant explosion

Reporting by Nicole Young, Evan Mealins and Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean / Nashville Tennessean

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