Music agent, rock drummer feared dead in San Diego plane crash

May 22 (UPI) -- Music agent Dave Shapiro died and rock drummer Daniel Williams is feared dead in a private aircraft crash early Thursday morning in San Diego.

A small jet plane crashed near a military housing neighborhood outside San Diego, but the number of onboard fatalities is not yet known.

The aircraft carried several passengers, and none survived the crash.

Shapiro, 42, was a talent agent and the owner of the Sound Talent Group, which confirmed his death in a statement.

"We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends," a Sound Talent Group spokesperson told Billboard.

"Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today's tragedy," the statement continues. "Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time."

The talent group's clients include musical acts Sum 41, Story of the Year and Pierce the Veil.

Williams, 39, also is feared dead and made social media posts showing he was among the aircraft's passengers, the BBC, Daily Mail and The Mirror reported.

Williams formerly was the drummer for the Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada and posted footage showing him boarding the private aircraft at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport on Wednesday evening.

He also posted photos of himself behind the plane's controls and said he was its "co-pilot," the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

At least one photo showed the aircraft's flight number, which was the same as the plane that crashed.

It's unknown if Williams was joking about being a pilot or actually had qualified as one.

While Williams played in a metalcore band, Shapiro worked with heavy metal and metalcore acts as an agent and with the Sound Talent Group.

Shapiro also was a licensed pilot, an aviation enthusiast and a certified flight instructor with more than 15 years' experience, the BBC reported.

He also owned the aviation company Velocity Aviation.

The incident was reported around 3:45 a.m. local time in the 3100 block of Salmon Street near the Tierrasanta neighborhood in the Murphy Canyon area.

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft was a Cessna 550 Citation, which often is used as a corporate jet.

One local resident was hospitalized and two others were treated for minor injuries, the San Diego Police Department reported.

It added that the plane crashed near California's Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport after it took off Wednesday night from New Jersey's Teterboro Airport, according to flight data on FlightAware.

It reportedly landed early Thursday morning in Wichita, where it stayed in Kansas for about an hour before departing for California.

The Cessna struck homes and caused about 15, along with several cars, to catch fire, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Assistant Chief Dan Eddy told reporters at the crash site.

One home was destroyed and 10 other buildings were damaged in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the deadly crash.

"The NSTB will lead the investigation and provide any updates," FAA officials said. "This information is preliminary and subject to change," they warned.

Eddy said the were no on-ground fatalities, but the plane could have held up to 10 people, including its pilot.

According to SDFD officials, the crash scene is now a HAZMAT situation because of aviation fuel flowing down the streets, forcing multiple neighborhoods to be evacuated.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said there was "jet fuel going down the street and everything on fire all at once." He added that it was "pretty horrific to see."

Meanwhile, at least a dozen local pets were rescued or decontaminated by the San Diego Humane Society after the crash in the Murphy Canyon area.

"On behalf of our city, I extend my condolences to the families and loved ones of those aboard the plane," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement, expressing his "deepest" gratitude to scores of agencies for their "swift, coordinated responses" that "quickly evacuated residents, extinguished fires and secured the area to ensure this tragedy was not compounded."

"San Diego will support the Navy as they assist the residents affected by this tragedy," the mayor said.