NEED TO KNOW

• On Nov. 9, a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that the FBI was investigating the death of a passenger aboard the Carnival Horizon ship

• High school senior Anna Kepner’s family identified her as the victim to ABC News

• According to her obituary, she was a cheerleader who planned to join the military

Anna Kepner — who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 8 — will be remembered for her “adventurous spirit” and “endless energy.”

On Nov. 9, one day after the Carnival Horizon ship returned to port after a passenger died onboard, Kepner’s relatives identified her as the deceased in an interview with ABC News. A Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson told PEOPLE that the death was being investigated by the FBI.

“Since this is an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, it is up to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office to provide further details,” the statement continued. “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest.”

Reflecting on her life, Kepner’s loved ones described her to ABC News as a “people person.”

“She loved being around people,” they said. “She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile.”

From her upbringing to her death, here’s everything to know about Anna Kepner, the teenager who died aboard a Carnival cruise ship.

She was from central Florida

Kepner was born on June 13, 2007, to Christopher Kepner and Heather Wright, per her obituary. According to ABC News, she grew up in Titusville, Fla., a town roughly 40 miles from Orlando, Fla.

Kepner’s parents were not married at the time of her death. Her father’s wife, Shauntel Kepner, is listed in the obituary as the late teenager’s stepmother.

She was a high school cheerleader with plans to join the military after graduation

Kepner attended Titusville High School, where she was a member of the Varsity Cheer Team, and later Astronaut High School before ending up at Temple Christian School, per her obituary. A high school senior, she was expected to graduate in 2026.

As a Georgia Bulldogs fan, Kepner dreamed of becoming a cheerleader for the University of Georgia, with plans to join the U.S. Navy and later become a K9 police officer, according to her obituary.

“She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” the late teenager’s family told ABC News. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”

She was described as “pure energy”

In her obituary, Kepner was described as “pure energy,” someone who is “bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself.”

“She never had a filter, and that was part of her charm,” the description continued. “Whether she was practicing new makeup looks (even if she had nowhere to go), making TikToks in front of the mirror, or blasting a perfectly curated playlist on the boat, Anna lived every day with her whole heart. She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others.”

The teenager is said to have loved “all kinds of music” — except heavy metal — and she had special adoration for “Stitches” singer Shawn Mendes. She also loved kids, dolphins, butterflies, arts and crafts, and doing puzzles with her Memaw.

While speaking with ABC News, Kepner’s relatives said that “If you were sad, she’d make you laugh.”

“She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school,” they continued.

She had seven siblings

Kepner was a sister to seven siblings: Andrew, Tim, Alex, Connor, Cody, Kylie and Brooke. Some of them are her stepsiblings from her dad’s second marriage.

“She loved her siblings deeply and made sure they always felt it whether it be taking them to the park, Halloween Horror Nights, or just out for fun, because that’s who she was: thoughtful, nurturing, and always thinking of others,” her obituary read.

She died in November 2025 while vacationing on a cruise ship with her family

On Nov. 8, Kepner was found dead while traveling on the Carnival Horizon cruise trip from Miami to the Caribbean, per ABC News.

Nearly 10 days later, CBS News reported that a housekeeper found Kepner’s body under the bed in her stateroom, citing law enforcement sources.

The outlet shared that she had been traveling with her dad, his wife and three of her stepsiblings, and had gone back to her room after telling them she was not feeling well the night before.

Per the outlet, the investigation is still ongoing, as law enforcement and the FBI check surveillance video, electronic swipe card data and interview others who were on the ship during the time of the teenager’s family trip.

On Nov. 19, NBC News reported that one of Kepner’s stepsiblings is being looked at by federal agents in connection with her death. The reveal came from a court filing in a separate case, pertaining to the stepmother’s former marriage. According to NBC News, the document stated that the alleged suspect in Kepner’s death has the initials T.H.

Read the original article on People