SAN DIEGO — Three employees of Sound Talent Group, including co-founder Dave Shapiro, were killed Thursday morning when a private jet crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, igniting homes and cars and sending residents fleeing in terror.
The Los Angeles-based music agency confirmed the deaths in a statement, identifying Shapiro, 46, as one of the victims. The other two employees have not yet been named. Shapiro, who also owned a flight school and record label under the Velocity brand, was listed as the plane’s owner and held a pilot’s license, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” the agency said. “Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy.”
Sound Talent Group has represented artists including Hanson, Vanessa Carlton, Sum 41, and others. Shapiro’s Velocity Records has worked with acts such as rosecoloredworld, Concrete Castles, and Japanese metal band Nemophila.
According to the FAA, six people were aboard the Cessna Citation II jet when it slammed into Murphy Canyon—home to the largest cluster of Navy-owned housing in the United States—just before 4 a.m. during dense fog. Two fatalities were initially confirmed by local authorities, but the agency later reported three deaths among the company’s employees. The total death toll remains under investigation.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Elliot Simpson said the jet clipped power lines before striking a home, sparking a massive blaze that engulfed vehicles and sent jet fuel coursing down residential streets. At least one home was destroyed and around 10 others sustained damage. Several cars were burned to their frames.
The crash occurred approximately two miles from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the plane departed Teterboro Airport in New Jersey Wednesday night, made a fueling stop in Wichita, Kansas, and then continued to San Diego. In audio recorded by LiveATC.net, the pilot can be heard reporting final approach at around 3:45 a.m.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the aftermath as “horrific,” noting that jet fuel had flowed down Salmon Street while flames consumed cars and property. “With the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrifying to see,” he said.
More than 100 residents were evacuated, with some treated for smoke inhalation or injuries sustained while escaping. Among them was Ariya Waterworth, who fled with her two children and dog after seeing a “giant fireball” outside her window. “I definitely do feel blessed because we’ve been spared,” she said, recounting how one of her vehicles was completely destroyed and her yard was strewn with wreckage.
Police reported that five members of one family were taken to a hospital after seeking refuge in a nearby school, while others received on-site treatment. Officers also rescued several pets, including three husky puppies, using a wagon.
City Councilmember Raul Campillo shared stories from residents of military families helping each other escape through windows and across rooftops. “It was a miracle more people weren’t seriously hurt,” he said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though aviation experts say weather conditions may have played a role. Barry Newman, an aviation attorney, noted that in such foggy conditions, the pilot would have been flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), but visual contact with the runway is required below 673 feet at Montgomery-Gibbs. Failure to see the runway at that altitude should trigger a missed approach.
Thursday’s tragedy echoes previous aviation disasters in San Diego, including a 2021 crash that killed a pilot and UPS driver, and a 2008 U.S. Marine Corps jet crash that killed four in a residential neighborhood.
The NTSB has taken over the investigation, with officials reviewing flight data, maintenance logs, and pilot communications in an effort to determine what went wrong.
