Ja’Nae’s father confirmed the girl’s death to KJRH on Tuesday, telling the news station that her body was found in the rubble of Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla.
Ja’Nae’s father described his deceased daughter as a “ball of energy, a ball of love” and a gregarious girl who who loves to play and always has a smile on her face. He continues to speak of her in the present tense because her death “hasn’t sunk in yet.”
“I expect to get a phone call” saying that they made a mistake and that his daughter was found alive, he told reporters.
The grandmother of Ja’Nae told local news station KOCO5 on Tuesday that the family was informed at 9 a.m. that the girl’s body was at the medical examiner’s office. KOCO 5 also noted a conversation a reporter had with the family Monday night, as they continued to search for her:
Nine children and 24 people total have been confirmed dead by search and rescue team as of Tuesday afternoon. According to Reuters, seven of the deceased children died at Plaza Towers Elementary School. The 2-mile wide tornado left a 17-mile path of destruction through Moore that left hundreds more injured, and the death toll may continue to climb.
