First victim of 1921 Tulsa massacre of Black community is identified since graves found, mayor says

The mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, says a World War I veteran is the first person identified from graves filled with victims of the 1921 Tulsa massacre targeting the city’s Black community

A World War I veteran is the first person identified from graves filled with victims of the 1921 Tulsa massacre targeting the city's Black community, the mayor said Friday.

The remains of C.L. Daniel from Georgia were identified by Intermountain Forensics through DNA from descendants of Daniel’s brothers, said Mayor G.T. Bynum and officials with the DNA lab.

The remains are among those exhumed during three searches for mass graves containing victims of the massacre.

As many as 300 Black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard.

The massacre began when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned Tulsa’s Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.