Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams dies in San Diego plane crash; his last words: ‘I'm the co-pilot now'
Daniel Williams, the popular drummer for metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, has died in a fatal plane crash in San Diego, on Thursday morning, according to TMZ. He was just 39. The family of Williams later spoke to the outlet, confirming the tragic incident. Reportedly, 42-year-old Dave Shapiro, the co-founder of Sound Talent Group (STG) and a popular music agent who was travelling on the same flight, also lost his life. The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to confirm the total number of casualties. However, according to reports, there were a total of six people travelling on the private jet.
Also read: Multiple fatalities after plane crashes in California's San Diego, 15 homes damaged in fire
The crash reportedly happened early Thursday morning in the Murphy Canyon area. The neighbourhood is famous for Navy housing. The small private jet, which could accommodate up to 10 people, lost engine control at around 3:45 AM and crashed into the residential area. The crash ended up engulfing several houses and parked cars in the area in flames. Some people on the ground also suffered injuries while trying to escape the flames, and a few were hospitalised for smoke inhalation.
According to Larry Williams, the father of Daniel Williams, he is confident that there are no survivors. However, the FAA has assured an investigation into the case, having not confirmed the number of deaths. STG later confirmed that three of the people onboard were their employees, including Shapiro. 'We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues, and friends,' Sound Talent Group said in a statement to 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.' Shapiro worked with famous bands including Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, I Prevail and reportedly also owned a plane and a flying license.
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Devil Wears Prada, the band's official social media page, also paid tribute to Williams with a picture of him on his drum set and captioned it, 'No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.' Williams had left the band a while ago (2005-2016), but he was a vital part—someone who played a big role in making the Christian metal-pop band a success. During his time, they released several hit albums like With Roots Above and Branches Below, Zombie EP, and Dead Throne. Just hours before the crash, Daniel had posted a photo to his Instagram story from inside the cockpit, jokingly writing, 'Hey. Hey… you… look at me… I'm the (co)pilot now.' The private jet took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey late Wednesday night, then stopped for a while to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, and was headed to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego.
In 2019, Williams survived a mass shooting in Ohio, after a gunman opened fire in Dayton's Ned Peppers bar. 9 people were killed and 27 were injured. Williams later took to social media to share, 'There was an active shooter in the bar I was in tonight. I am told that he had an AR-15. [My friend] and I are ok. I am so incredibly heartbroken for those affected by this. I have never been so scared in my life.' He added, 'I was in Ned Peppers. I'm still not sure exactly what happened. People were piling on top of each other to get out. It's all a blur. F***ing awful.'
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