Authorities Release Names of 16 Victims in AES Explosion; Investigation Moves Deliberately

 BUCKSNORT, Tenn. — On Monday, Oct. 13, Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft and Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis released the names of the 16 people killed in Friday’s explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES). They urged media and the public to respect families’ privacy at funerals and vigils and to avoid sharing unverified details that could fuel harmful rumors.

Victims were identified as: Jason Adams, Erick Anderson, Billy Baker, Adam Boatman, Christopher Clark, Mindy Clifton, James Cook, Reyna Gillahan, LaTeisha Mays, Jeremy Moore, Melinda Rainey, Melissa Stafford, Trenton Stewart, Rachel Woodall, Steven Wright, and Donald Yowell.

The blast occurred Friday, Oct. 10. Since then, local authorities have worked alongside multiple state and federal partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is leading the probe. Gov. Bill Lee visited the site Sunday, Oct. 12, noting the magnitude of the damage and praising the community’s support for grieving families.

Sheriff Davis said investigators are proceeding at a “snail’s pace” to ensure the site is fully secure and evidence is preserved. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting DNA testing to identify remains; officials stressed that releasing names does not mean all remains have been identified, according to reporting by NewsChannel 5 Nashville.

In the days ahead, the focus will shift more heavily toward formal identifications and, ultimately, determining the cause. “We have one shot,” Davis said. “If this is an accident, we want to prove it to ourselves that this is an accident… we only have that one shot to process that evidence and to be methodical and slow.”

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