A music talent agent, two music booking assistants, a professional photographer, the former drummer of a metal band, and a software engineer died when a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood amid foggy weather, NBC 7 has learned.
Here's what we know, so far, about the victims.
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SIGN UP The plane was registered to Dave Shapiro, who was a licensed pilot and flight instructor. In addition to offering flight services with his company Velocity Aviation, he was a co-founder of a music representation firm called Sound Talent Group.
His company’s website says it represents bands like Sum 41, Pierce The Veil, and Vanessa Carlton. The company said it has offices in San Diego, New York, & Nashville. He also owned Velocity Records.
Sound Talent Group released this statement:
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"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.”
Sound Talent Group shared this bio of Shapiro:
Dave was born in Albany, moved to San Diego, and fell in love with Alaska where he began living in 2020.
He started his music journey as a drummer, then was an agent for more than 20 years while also launching several successful businesses as an entrepreneur. Dave worked with Matt Andersen and Tim Borror at United Talent Agency before launching their own company, Sound Talent Group, in 2018.
Dave’s superpower was his ability to recognize new talent, work with their unique skills and sound, and give them the counsel and resources to make a living in the music industry. Some of your favorite bands wouldn’t be on your playlists right now without Dave.
Dave impacted the lives of countless people in the music industry, but on a personal level, he was the best friend you could ever want – funny, full of life, always passionate about music, and never jaded. He was the guy that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.
Dave is survived by his wife, Julia, his sister, Jennifer, and his beloved dogs, Amigo, Juneau and Monster.
Kendall Fortner
According to her LinkedIn page, Kendall Fortner worked for the Sound Talent Group as a booking assistant. She was also a graduate of San Diego State University.
Sound Talent Group shared this bio for Fortner on behalf of her family:
Ever since Kendall’s father took her to concerts at a young age, she was hooked on music. From 1950s’ doo-wop to classic rock, Green Day to Ed Sheeran, Kendall loved it all. She taught herself to play a variety of instruments, including piano and guitar.
Born in Glendale, CA, and raised in Santa Clarita, Kendall attended West Ranch High School before graduating from San Diego State University in 2021 with a degree in business. Having interned with Sound Talent Group in college, Kendall joined the company right after graduation as a booking associate.
As early as her teenage years, Kendall had shown an interest in working on the business side of music, and the job at STG was a perfect fit that showcased her work ethic and ability to plan tours and festivals nationwide.
Fiercely independent and strong-willed, Kendall was the life of the party and lit up any room she entered.
She is survived by her parents Gary and Kristin, her brother Jordan and his wife Kailey, and her brother Justin, his wife Hannah, and their son, Theo.
Emma Huke
According to her LinkedIn page, Emma Huke also worked for the Sound Talent Group as a booking assistant.
Sound Talent Group shared this bio of Huke on behalf of her family:
Born and raised in Orange County, CA, Emma knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the music industry. An avid dancer, she was part of a national championship-winning dance team at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2022 with a degree in journalism, Emma completed several internships in the music industry before joining Sound Talent Group in 2024 as a booking associate.
There was nothing Emma loved more than live music. She worked hard to save up money so she could travel to concerts and festivals. And while she loved all genres of music, her favorite artists to see live were Taylor Swift and The 1975.
Emma also brought that passion for live music to her work. She was smart and organized, helping STG plan and promote their biggest tours. Clients and friends called Emma a force of nature, and she was a beautiful soul who brought joy and a light to everyone in her presence.
Emma is survived by her parents, Tim and Allison, and her younger sibling, Ellis.
Daniel Williams
Daniel Williams was a longtime friend of Shapiro and was the former drummer of the rock band The Devil Wears Prada. The band posted a message in remembrance of him and wrote, "no words. We owe you everything. Love you forever."
Williams left the band in 2016 and was working as a software engineer for a large tech company.
According to other media reports, Williams survived a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, in 2019, escaping without injury.
Dominic Damian
Dominic Damian was also friends with Shapiro for years. According to his LinkedIn page, he was working as a software engineer at the time of his death.
His social media pages also showed his passion for jiu-jitsu. The Pacific Beach gym he attended is holding a remembrance event for him on Memorial Day.
Celina Kenyon
Professional photographer Celina Kenyon also lost her life on board the plane. Her professional social media page is filled with high-quality photos which include work she did for musical acts.
Her father, Bryan Charles Feldman, shared the photo above and this statement from the family:
Celina Kenyon (36 years old) was taken from us Thursday morning May 22nd. Celina was an amazing mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, partner and friend. After flying out to photograph and support her long time friends, she 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.
Celina has always been loved and respected in her professional photography career and beyond.
Family is everything to her.
Celina’s legacy is her daughter and partner, her parents, as well as countless family members. Our family is devastated beyond these words. The world has lost a beautiful bright light.
On Friday, investigators with the National Safety Transportation Board said a weather alert system and airport runway lights at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport were not working at the time the pilot attempted to land just before 4 a.m. Whether those were a factor in the plane crash remained under investigation. The plane also did not have a flight data recorder and investigators were still working to determine if it was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder.
A preliminary investigation won't be released for several weeks, the NTSB said.
