Everything we know as FBI investigates death of 18-year-old cheerleader on cruise ship
Topics: TikTok, Social Media, Travel, Cruise ship, Florida, US News
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: fl.anna18/TikTok
Topics: TikTok, Social Media, Travel, Cruise ship, Florida, US News
The passenger who died on a Carnival Cruise ship over the weekend has been identified as 18-year-old Anna Kepner.
The high school student, from Titusville, Florida, was one of thousands of passengers aboard the cruise liner's Horizon ship.
It had been traveling to Miami from the Caribbean as part of a six-night trip.
The ship returned to Miami on Saturday (November 8), where the teen's body was delivered to the Miami-Dade medical examiner’s officer for an autopsy.
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Kepner's cause of death is yet to be disclosed.
Officers from the FBI responded to the scene, and the death is currently an 'ongoing matter', the agency has said.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Carnival Cruise Line said: "Since this is an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, all media inquiries need to be directed to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office."
It added: "Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest."
Kepner was a Temple Christian School student who was due to graduate in May.
A celebrated athlete, she began gymnastics at the age of two and joined her high school's varsity cheerleading team, her family told ABC News.
They say the 'bubbly' teen lived her life to the fullest and loved being near the water, having earned her boater’s license and scuba certification.
She was full of dreams and excitement for her future, her family said, adding: "She had just finished taking the test to join the military.
"She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community."
Her family went on describe Anna has a 'people person', adding: "She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile and the way she carried herself. She was such an easy person to talk to."
They continued, in part: "She was the best child you could ever meet. We'll always remember her for who she was."
This wasn't Kepner's first cruise, as the teen had previously been on a Carnival Cruise back in May, according to her TikTok account.
She posted a clip of herself in a white dress abroad the ship, miming and dancing to the song 'Blue Strips' by Jessie Murphy.
"I wanna go back," she captioned the video, adding a sad face emoji and the hashtags: "#carnival #cruise #fyp #viral."
In another video from May, she's wearing a Carnival Cruise hoodie.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the FBI confirmed publicly that it had responded to the scene.
FBI Special Agent Willie Creech told the publication: "Because this is an ongoing matter, no further information is available at this time."
The FBI legally shares responsibility with state law enforcement in maritime investigations, reports Florida Today.
While deaths occasionally occur on cruise ships and are usually managed by local authorities, it remains unclear why this particular incident at Port Miami drew federal involvement.