Thursday’s inexplicable crash of a six-passenger plane into a San Diego suburb claimed the life of a rock legend well known in the heavy metal scene.
Drummer Daniel Williams was among the six killed when a business jet went down, crashing in a neighborhood of U.S. Navy households in the early hours of Thursday morning. Riding alongside Williams was Dave Shapiro, a music executive in the heavy metal and hard rock scene.
Williams, who played for years with heavy metal band The Devil Wears Prada, posted a photo on his Instagram page showing him boarding the jet with Shapiro shortly before takeoff. The band recognized their drummer’s death in another post on their official page.
“No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever,” the band wrote.
Shapiro was listed as the owner of the plane and had obtained his own license to fly, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. He was joined by two employees who were also among the dead, the recording agency Sound Talent Group confirmed Thursday.
“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,” said a spokesperson for the agency, co-founded by Shapiro.
Sound Talent Group was spawned by Williams in partnership with Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, and went on to produce some of the most formative rock acts of the 2000s, signing pop-rockers Sum 41, “Sk8er Boi” singer Avril Lavigne, and Vanessa Carlton.
A visceral supporter of independent artists, Shapiro founded the National Independent Talent Organization, which helps up-and-coming artists find placement in studios, sound booths, and venues across the country. He was a member of Billboard’s “30 Under 30” class of 2012.
Tributes from many of those who owe their career to Shapiro began to pour out on Thursday as news of his death spread throughout the industry.
“His opinion mattered so much to me,” Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley said about how Shapiro helped him through a “low point” in his career. “He was that guy I would go to for advice on things.”
Nate Blasdell, former lead guitarist for the band I Set My Friends on Fire, said he was “absolutely heartbroken.”
“Dave was the first booking agent I ever worked with and he was a major part of my music career in my late teen years,” he said in a post on X.
“He was truly the best in the game and one of the most respected people in the industry.”
Investigators are still seeking to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft, a Cessna 550 Citation business jet, crashed around 3:45 a.m. in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, setting multiple fires. The flight originated in New Jersey and had stopped for refueling in Kansas, Fox News reports.
Despite the carnage, no fatalities were reported among neighborhood residents. Eight individuals were taken to area hospitals for smoke inhalation and other non-life-threatening injuries.
