Latest news with #DavidShapiro
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner
The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport. Everyone aboard the plane died, officials said. Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB. On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. MORE: Music agency co-founder among dead in San Diego plane crash The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company's statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner's identity wasn't officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to The NTSB said that the airport's weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash. ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report. 2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner originally appeared on
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's just like an emptiness': Friends and teammates remember victim of deadly plane crash
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — On Friday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified three of the passengers killed in Thursday morning's plane crash in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. All three of the identified victims, David Shapiro, Emma Huke, and Celina Kenyon, reportedly died of multiple blunt force injuries in the tragedy. Another victim, Dominic Damian, has been identified by his fellow athletes at The Training Center in Pacific Beach. Since 2007, Baret Yoshida would train with Damian as his instructor and said they became friends. 'I learned a lot from him,' Yoshida said, adding that he is working to keep Damian's memory alive. 'It's just like an emptiness, you know,' he said. Yoshida saidDamian would regularly travel with his friends in the music industry to watch their shows. 'I knew that those were like his best friends,' Yoshida said. He said he learned Damian was aboard the plane that crashed after Damian's wife messaged him with the news. 'I couldn't believe it was real,' Yoshida said. 'Even now, it's still settling in, you know, because just the other week, we're watching Dom hit home runs over the fence.' Damian, a black belt and accomplished Jiu Jitsu fighter, won several major awards, including silver and bronze at the World Jiu Jitsu Championships. 'He got to a really high level, and he beat a lot of the best guys in the world,' he said. Damian would share his knowledge with his fellow trainees. 'He was doing the same thing for almost everybody within the gym, regardless of who they were and where they were from, so he was definitely one of the main mentors for people,' said Byunghon Lee, one of Damian's fellow fighters. This shocking loss stings for the fighting community. 'This is the place I know I would feel his presence,' Lee said. Yoshida said his lasting legacy won't be forgotten. The Training Center plans to host an open mat at their location on Memorial Day in honor of Damian. 'I've been thinking about him a lot,' Yoshida said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
San Diego County officials identify three victims of the Murphy Canyon plane crash
(FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified three of the six people who were believed to be on a plane that crashed into a residential street in San Diego early Thursday morning. On Friday evening, the county named David Shapiro, 42, Emma L. Huke, 25, and Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 36, saying they were '…in a Cessna aircraft which crashed into a residential community in San Diego.' Read our full coverage of the Murphy Canyon plane crash The county lists the place of death as the 10200 block of Sample Street and the time as 3:47 a.m. on Thursday morning. Federal officials have said in the time since the crash that six people were believed to be aboard the plane and that all are presumed dead. Although the crash and ensuing fires damaged multiple homes and vehicles along a stretch of Sample Street, only several people on the ground received injuries, mostly from smoke inhalation and from exiting windows. Since the crash, San Diego-based music talent agency Sound Talent Group identified Shapiro as a victim in the crash and said two other employees had also perished, but it did not provide their names. Shapiro was a co-founder of the agency. Rock band The Devil Wears Prada said Daniel Williams, who was the group's drummer for a decade starting in 2005, was also on the plane. On Friday, Tandem Management Company, which works with musicians and lists The Devil Wears Prada among the groups it works with, posted on Facebook saying, 'the music world lost some extraordinary individuals,' and named Shapiro, Huke and Williams, along with Kendall Fortner. Operators of San Diego gym The Training Center and a fighter affiliated with it spoke with FOX 5/KUSI on Friday and identified the sixth victim as Dominic Damian, adding that they planned to host an open mat in his honor on Monday. At a Friday news conference, federal officials released some early findings in the investigation, saying that some of the advanced aviation equipment that helps guide pilots to Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, where the plane was headed, was not working, including the runway approach light system. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
International Business Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
David Shapiro and Daniel Williams: Story of the Year, Sum 41 Music Agent and Ex-Devil Wears Prada Drummer Killed in San Diego Private Jet Crash
David Shapiro, 42, a big shot in the music industry, was confirmed as one of the victims of the plane crash in San Diego on Thursday, according to his agency. Meanwhile, Daniel Williams, the former drummer for The Devil Wears Prada, is also believed to be killed in the crash. Shapiro was a co-founder of Sound Talent Group (STG), a booking agency that represents popular bands such as Sum 41, Story of the Year, and Parkway Drive. "We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends ... Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time," the agency said in a statement shared with Billboard. Tragic Death of Stars Just before the flight took off, Williams shared on his Instagram Stories what appeared to be a photo of the ill-fated plane, captioned "Flying back with @davevelocity." He also uploaded two photos showing the plane's control panel, adding a caption that read, "Hey. Hey ... you ... look at me ... I'm the (co)pilot now." At least two other STG employees also died when the private jet traveling from Teterboro, New Jersey, crashed into a residential area in San Diego—home to military families—around 4 a.m. on Thursday while residents were asleep, according to reports. Authorities believe that there were no survivors among those on board the aircraft. Also, at least eight people on the ground sustained serious injuries. Beyond his work in the music industry, Shapiro was also a passionate pilot and a licensed flight instructor with 15 years of flying experience, according to the website for his aviation school, Velocity Aviation. The aircraft involved in the crash was a Cessna 550, which has a capacity of up to 10 passengers, though the FAA said that the exact number of people aboard has not yet been determined. "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," the company's website reads. Not Clear Who was Piloting Aircraft Airport authorities said that the doomed flight took off from Teterboro, New Jersey, on Wednesday night and made a refueling stop in Wichita along the way. Located about six miles from Manhattan, Teterboro is a frequently used departure point for private and corporate aircraft. Cessna Citation II jets are currently listed on with price tags ranging from $900,000 to $1.3 million. Christopher Moore, who lives just one block away from where the crash occurred, said he and his wife were jolted awake by a loud explosion. They saw flames and smoke, prompting them to quickly grab their two small children and escape. "It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you've just got to drop your head and get to safety," he said. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, but it happened amid thick morning fog near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. "You could barely see in front of you," said Eddy, the assistant fire chief.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pilot of private jet registered in Alaska among those killed in San Diego crash
May 22—The owner of a private jet registered in Alaska that crashed early Thursday morning in a San Diego neighborhood is among the dead. Initial reports indicate at least three people died when the jet crashed into military housing during foggy weather, igniting cars parked along a suburban block. The Cessna S550 went down at about 3:45 a.m. The jet hit a powerline before striking a home, according to a National Transportation Safety Board briefing around midday Thursday. David Shapiro, the 42-year-old pilot and registered owner of the plane, was killed in the crash, as well as two colleagues at a California talent agency, according to a statement from the agency. The plane is registered to Daviator LLC out of Homer, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. A state corporations database lists Shapiro as the company's organizer. Shapiro is a well-known music agent and cofounder of California-based Sound Talent Group. A spokesperson for the company confirmed they lost three employees in the crash including Shapiro. "We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends," the company said in a statement. "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 holds numerous pilot and flight instructor certifications, according to the FAA. Shapiro's pilot registration has a Homer address. Local residents say, at least in past years, he and his wife have spent part of the year in the Kenai Peninsula community. Their property is on the Baycrest bluff just off the Sterling Highway north of town. Shapiro also founded Velocity Aviation, a flight company that offered a range of services including aircraft leasing and ferry services as well as instruction and flightseeing from the company's Homer and San Diego locations. A story posted Thursday by Billboard said the roster of musical groups under the Sound Talent Group umbrella includes Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, I Prevail, Set it Off, Story of the Year, Silverstein, Parkway Drive and Eve 6. Shapiro also operated the Velocity Records music label, whose roster has included Thursday, Concrete Castles and Craig Owens. The NTSB is investigating the crash. Investigators say they found fragments of the jet as well as part of a wing and will recover the wreckage for analysis. Any official probable cause finding isn't expected to be released until next year. No one on the ground was seriously injured, according to local emergency officials. The crash occurred in dense fog, according to local reports. More than 10 homes caught fire, as did several cars. About 100 residents were evacuated to a nearby elementary school. The location of the crash was near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane departed from Teterboro, N.J., on Wednesday, then stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kan., before departing on the three-hour flight to San Diego, according to the Thursday briefing and This is a developing story and will be updated.
