Tributes pour in after drummer Daniel Williams and music agent Dave Shapiro named as victims in San Diego plane crash

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The former drummer of a Christian rock band and a music agent were among those identified as victims of a deadly plane crash in a San Diego neighborhood before dawn on Thursday.

The fiery crash occurred around 3:47 a.m. when the small Cessna 550 abruptly crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, igniting cars and homes, and injuring eight people on the ground.

The exact number of victims, and the number of people on board the plane is still unknown, though it is believed that at least three were killed. Here’s what we know about them so far.

Dave Shapiro

Dave Shapiro the owner of Sound Talent Group, was the first person identified among the deceased, as confirmed by his company.

Shapiro, 42, was an avid pilot with over a decade of flying experience, though it was not immediately clear if he was flying the plane or if he was a passenger. He was also known in the music industry as a “daredevil,” according to a Billboard report.

Music agent Dave Shapiro was among the people killed, according to his talent agency. He was an avid flier, according to his social media profile and frequently posted pictures from the sky, including this one from 2016 (Dave Shapiro/Instagram)

“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” a spokesperson for Sound Talent Group told Billboard. “Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time.”

“From BASE jumping to aerobatic flying, Helicopters to twin engines, flight instructing to furthering his own education, doesn’t matter to Dave as long as he gets to be in the sky,” Shapiro’s aviation website reads.

Shapiro, who worked with bands including Sum 41 and Pierce the Veil, was also a staunch supporter of independent music. He launched his own agency in 2018 with Tim Borror and Matt Anderson.

Daniel Williams

Daniel Williams was the former drummer of metal-core band The Devil Wears Prada, and was identified as a victim of the crash by his family, according to TMZ.

The outlet reported that the drummer’s father, Larry Williams, said he had not received official confirmation from authorities, but that he was confident his son had been on the plane.

The Devil Wears Prada also posted a tribute to Williams on its official Instagram page. Sharing several pictures of him the band wrote “No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.”

Just prior to the crash Williams had posted a photo of himself online in the copilot’s seat of the small plane, with the caption “Hey … look at me … I’m the (co) pilot now.” However, his father told TMZ that his son did not have a pilots license.

In a post on X, podcast State of the Scene wrote: “Heart goes out to Dave Shapiro and Daniel Williams’ family and friends. What a f****** tragedy this week has been..”

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