 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Lists of casualties of an event are acceptable so long as secondary sources provide coverage. This helps our article reflect a neutral point of view. |
In events where people die by homicide or accident, it is appropriate to provide names and other minor details if our secondary sources provide such coverage. Omitting such detail imbalances the article towards the event itself, or worse, towards the perpetrator (in the event of a mass murder or shooting, for example). While Wikipedia is not a memorial, Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not only says articles about the dead are inappropriate. We are only providing a small section of an article to individuals who became notable through their connection to the event covered by the article.
Naming the dead is also appropriate as it personalizes the subject for the reader in a way simple facts such as age, gender and ethnicity do not.