Dave Shapiro, the owner of Sound Talent Group passed away in a private plane crash
According to a statement from his firm, Dave Shapiro, 42, a well-known talent agent and owner of Sound Talent Group (STG), was one of the people died in a fiery plane crash early Thursday morning (May 22) in San Diego, California.
The crash occurred around 3:47 a.m. when the small Cessna 550 abruptly crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, igniting cars and homes, and injuring eight people on the ground.
Who is music agent and pilot Dave Shapiro, co-owner of Sound Talent Group who died in Cessna 500 San Diego plane crash accident
A tragic jet crash early Thursday morning in San Diego claimed the life of 42-year-old Dave Shapiro. Around 3:45 a.m., a 1985 Cessna Citation II plane carrying him crashed in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood.
The private jet was en route to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport when it lost power before dawn and crashed into homes, sparking a blaze that engulfed buildings and vehicles. No official cause of crash has been determined as of yet.
The private jet from Teterboro, New Jersey crashed into a San Diego neighborhood housing military families at around 3:45 a.m. Thursday after it hit a power line in foggy weather, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, before slamming into a house on the ground, setting it ablaze.
Age 42 Dave Shapiro, co-founder of Sound Talent Group and age 39 Daniel Williams, former drummer for metal band The Devil Wears Prada, were named as the victims. At least two other STG employees died in the wreck.
There were six people on board and although the others have yet to be named, all are presumed to be dead.
The plane, which belonged to Shapiro via his business Daviation LLC, was traveling from New Jersey to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, stopping in Kansas for fuel.
A spokesperson for Sound Talent Group said in a statement, “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. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time,” reported Billboard.
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A Cessna 550 crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon on May 22, killing at least three, including music agent Dave Shapiro and ex-drummer Daniel Williams. #Plane_CrashDense fog may have contributed; the plane hit a power line, igniting 15 homes.
Six were onboard; total… https://t.co/OMGAcSLmXQ pic.twitter.com/awfeH6KlDS
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) May 23, 2025
Along with Matt Andersen and Tim Borror, age 42 Dave Shapiro co-founded Sound Talent Group in 2018. Alternative bands from pop-punk, metalcore, post-hardcore, and other well-known hard rock subgenres make up the majority of the agency’s roster. Hanson, Pierce the Veil, Parkway Drive, Sum 41, and Vanessa Carlton are among the clients.
Shapiro co-founded the National Independent Talent Organization and was a fervent supporter of independent musicians. He was featured on Billboard’s 2012 “30 Under 30” list, which honours up-and-coming entertainers. According to industry insiders, Shapiro helped numerous alternative artists achieve mainstream audiences and opened the door for the establishment of other independent agencies.
Sound Talent Group has represented artists including American pop band Hanson, American singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton and the Canadian rock group Sum 41 and Shapiro also owned Velocity Records.
Music agent Shapiro, 42, who grew up in New York was also an avid pilot with over 15 years of flying experience, though it is not clear if he was flying the plane or if he was a passenger. The plane was registered in his name with Daniel Williams uploading a post aboard the plane which claimed he was now the copilot.
Dave also founded Velocity Aviation, which is a full service aviation business and its website says, “As a young executive in the music business in 2005, the then 22 year old, had earned a small amount of discretionary income for the first time in his life and the very first thing he did was took an intro flight.”
“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,” Shapiro’s aviation website reads.
Velocity Aviation offers wide-ranging services, including a professional safe flight school, ferry flights, aircraft leasing, aircraft sales consulting and scenic flights.
Dave was married to wife, Julia Shapiro (@juliohhh on IG), aka Julia Pawlik, a forensic scientist from Perth, Australia and the couple crossed paths thanks to a friend at the Self Help Music Festival years ago.
Shapiro married his wife in 2016 in the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska and they picked up their wedding licenses, got on a plane and flew to a glacier inside Denali National Park, landing with skis strapped to the plane’s wheels.
In 2019, Dave had obtained his airline transport pilot rating, the highest level of certification issued by the U.S.
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Before colliding with a house in Murphy Canyon, a neighbourhood of military housing owned by the US Navy, the plane damaged power lines. Because visibility was just half a mile due to fog, the aircraft had to fly under instrument flight regulations.
Unreal. RIP Daniel Williams and Dave Shapiro 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3ZJFvpYN1h
— Camuel (@cam_hoag) May 22, 2025
The jet left Teterboro, New Jersey, at approximately 11:15 p.m. local time, stopped in Wichita for fuel, and crashed minutes before it reached its destination, according to Elliot Simpson of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“As you would expect, something that large at that amount of speed, we’re going to have a lot of throw that goes every which direction,” said Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy.
David Shapiro, a 42-year-old titan of the music industry, perished in a San Diego plane crash this morning. The mogul, whose roster boasted heavyweights like Sum 41, Story of the Year, and Parkway Drive, leaves a void as loud as a dropped mic on an empty stage. pic.twitter.com/7Zns7g74UG
— Harvey Lynde (@Hermit_62) May 22, 2025