What we know about the 6 killed in a San Diego plane crash, including music executive Dave Shapiro
Share and Follow


SAN DIEGO (AP) — A groundbreaking alternative music executive. A photographer. Two young women just starting their careers in the music industry.

They were among the six people killed Thursday when a private plane owned by Dave Shapiro, cofounder of the Sound Talent Group, crashed in a San Diego neighborhood as it approached a nearby airport whose lights were out in heavy fog. The fiery crash stunned the heavy metal and hard rock scene.

It could take a year to sort out exactly what happened to the Cessna 550 Citation, which hit power lines just before it crashed and killed the pilot and passengers. But investigators know there was thick fog, problems with the runway lights and a broken weather alert system, said Dan Baker of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Here’s what to know about the six people on board the private flight:

Dave Shapiro

It was the connections Shapiro, 42, made more than the music he played that made him successful.

The music agency that Shapiro cofounded, Sound Talent Group, represented groups like Parkway Drive and Sum 41, but it also ventured into more pop acts like Vanessa Carlton.

He got into the music industry playing in the band — Count with Stars — that he founded with friends while in high school.

Shapiro helped bring the underground $10-a-show alternative scene in the 2010s to the mainstream. But he also was huge in creating a community, said Mike Shea, founder of Alternative Press Magazine.

“In this music industry, there are just too many people ripping people off and using people,” he said. “Dave was not like that.”

Shapiro was listed as the plane’s owner and had a pilot’s license. Officials have not said who was flying the plane.

Kendall Fortner and Emma Huke

Both Fortner, 24, and Huke, 25, joined Shapiro’s agency as booking associates after graduating from college, according to their bios released by Sound Talent Group, which confirmed both women were on the plane.

Fortner “was hooked on music” from a young age thanks to her father, who took her to concerts, and she showed an interest in working in the music industry as a teenager.

Huke, too, knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the industry.

“There was nothing Emma loved more than live music,” the agency said, and she worked hard to save up money to attend concerts and festivals.

The agency said both Fortner and Huke were good at their jobs, which included planning tours.

Daniel Williams

Williams was a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, celebrated for their ability to marry melodic punk rock with metallic detours.

When Williams “was in the band, that’s when they broke out,” Shea said.

Thomas Gutches, who manages rock bands and artists, recalled Williams’ ability to captivate audiences at shows with his drumming as much as a band’s frontman does.

“Daniel was putting on a show from his style of playing,” he said.

Williams’ band, which had two releases reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, was a client of Sound Talent Group.

Celina Marie Rose Kenyon

Kenyon, 36, was another passenger on the flight, according to the coroner’s office in San Diego. A spokesperson for Sound Talent Group said she wasn’t an employee.

Bryan Charles Feldman, Kenyon’s father, said in a statement to The Associated Press that his daughter was respected in her career as a professional photographer and deeply loved by friends and family, including her daughter and her partner.

Kenyon had been traveling “to photograph and support” some longtime friends, Feldman said, and decided to fly home to San Diego “with other crew and friends on a late night private flight rather than a commercial flight so she could get home early to take her daughter to school.”

“The world has lost a beautiful bright light,” Feldman said.

Dominic Christopher Damian

Also killed was 41-year-old Damian, the coroner’s office announced Saturday.

A martial arts school in San Diego, The Training Center, said via Instagram that Damian trained there. The gym is hosting an open mat session in his memory on Monday.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Jamie Dimon sounds alarm on AI job losses

Jamie Dimon Raises Concerns Over AI-Induced Job Displacement

Jamie Dimon is raising awareness about the rise of artificial intelligence, but…
FILE - Amy Schumer and husband Chris Fischer attend the premiere of Netflix

Amy Schumer Announces Surprising Decision to End Marriage: What Led to the Split?

Amy Schumer, the renowned comedian and actress, has revealed that she and…
In this image from video, law enforcement officials gather outside the Brown University campus in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Police Investigate Shooting Incident at Brown University in Rhode Island: Campus Safety Alert Issued

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An active shooter situation unfolded at Brown University on…
Exclusive | Stefanik calls on DOJ to ramp up probe of Hochul's homecare program following 'bombshell' email revelation

Stefanik Urges DOJ to Intensify Investigation into Hochul’s Homecare Program After Shocking Email Disclosure

Representative Elise Stefanik is urging federal authorities to intensify their investigation into…
US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension

US Escalates Tensions with Fighter Jet Deployment Near Venezuelan Gulf: Closest Approach in History

The United States made a significant move on Tuesday by deploying two…
Ohio man who spent decades on death row for murder has his case dismissed

Ohio Death Row Inmate Freed After Decades: Court Dismisses Murder Case

After spending over 25 years on death row for the robbery and…
Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player

Fernando Mendoza Clinches Prestigious Heisman Trophy as 2023 College Football’s Elite Athlete

In a historic moment for Indiana University’s football program, Fernando Mendoza, the…
Man uncovers missing father’s bones buried beneath family home, unleashing ‘a thousand' other secrets

Shocking Discovery: Son Finds Father’s Remains and Unlocks a Vault of Family Secrets Beneath Home

On the eve of Halloween in 2018, Michael Carroll’s son felt a…