Drumming News
A devastating early-morning plane crash in a San Diego earlier this morning the 22nd of May 2025, military housing neighborhood has claimed the lives of six individuals, including Daniel Williams, former drummer for the metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, and Dave Shapiro, co-founder of Sound Talent Group and owner of Velocity Aviation.
The small Cessna 550 business jet, en route to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, crashed around 3:47 a.m. Thursday amid dense fog, striking power lines before slamming into a residential home in Murphy Canyon. The impact triggered a fiery explosion, setting multiple homes and vehicles ablaze and forcing the evacuation of nearly 100 residents.
San Diego Fire-Rescue officials confirmed that all six passengers aboard the jet were killed. Miraculously, no fatalities occurred among residents on the ground, though at least eight people suffered minor injuries. One person was hospitalized.
Daniel Williams, 39, posted to Instagram late Wednesday night from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where the ill-fated flight originated. In a now-haunting story, he joked about being the “co-pilot now” while sitting at the aircraft’s controls. The band he helped propel to fame posted a tribute on Thursday, writing: “No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.”
Williams had left The Devil Wears Prada in 2016 and transitioned into a career as a software engineer in San Diego. He was also a survivor of the 2019 Dayton, Ohio mass shooting, adding another tragic chapter to a life already marked by trauma.
Dave Shapiro, who piloted the aircraft, was a well-known figure in the rock and metal music industry. His agency, Sound Talent Group, represented a vast roster of artists including Sum 41, Lamb of God, and Ice Nine Kills. Shapiro was also a certified flight instructor and the registered agent of the Alaska-based company Daviator, which owned the crashed jet.
In a statement, Sound Talent Group mourned the loss: “We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends. Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy.”
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft was operating under Instrument Flight Rules due to poor visibility caused by a dense marine fog layer. The plane did not issue a distress call before the crash, and officials confirmed that it hit power lines approximately two miles from the runway before crashing into a home.
Authorities said the airport’s control tower was not staffed at the time, a normal condition during overnight hours, and that air traffic coordination would have been handled by Southern California Approach Control. Investigators are looking into several potential causes, including weather, pilot fatigue, and navigational aid performance.
The crash site, described as a “gigantic debris field,” left behind scorched homes, mangled vehicles, and streets flooded with jet fuel. Despite the destruction, first responders and military families in the area worked heroically to evacuate neighbors and minimize further injury.
“I heard stories … about military families helping military families out of their homes, jumping out of windows, avoiding fire,” said City Councilmember Raul Campillo.
The tragedy has shaken the close-knit Murphy Canyon community, which remains under evacuation as crews continue to clear wreckage
