Daniel Williams: Devil Wears Prada drummer survived mass shooting years before San Diego plane crash
Daniel Williams, former drummer with the band Devil Wears Prada, had survived a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio
Daniel Williams, former drummer with the band Devil Wears Prada, had survived a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, six years before he died in the plane crash in San Diego on Thursday. The 39-year-old's family and former band confirmed his death in a statement to TMZ.
The private Cessna 550 jet took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey late Wednesday night, stopped for gas in Kansas, and later crashed in San Diego. Williams had posted an Instagram story about boarding the jet only hours before the crash. He also shared a photo in the cockpit, writing: “Hey. Hey... you... look at me.... I'm the (co)pilot now.”
Read More: San Diego plane crash: Who owned Cessna 550 aircraft that went down in Murphy Canyon?
Along with him, music producer and flight instructor David ‘Dave’ Shapiro also died in the crash. Sound Talent Group (STG) confirmed its co-founder's death, saying their other staffers were also killed.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” a STG spokesperson told Billboard. “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.”
The FAA said there were a total of six people on the aircraft.
Daniel Williams survived a mass shooting
It has been revealed that Williams survived a mass shooting incident in Dayton, Ohio, six years ago. In August 2019, a gunman opened fire near the Ned Peppers bar, killing nine people and wounding 27 others.
Read More: San Diego plane crash: Harrowing photos show ‘gigantic debris field’ of burnt up houses, cars
Following the attack, Daniel Williams revealed he had a near-death experience.
"There was an active shooter in the bar i was in tonight. I am told that he had an AR15. @HannahRayNinja and I are ok. I am so incredibly heartbroken for those affected by this. I have never been so scared in my life," he posted on social media.
“I was in Ned Peppers. I’m still not sure exactly what happened. People were piling on top of each other to get out. It’s all a blur. F***ing awful,” the drummer further added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
He called for gun control, saying ‘thoughts and prayers don’t do s***. Gun control is needed. 251 mass shootings in 2019 is f***ing despicable’.
On Thursday, several people were injured while trying to flee after the crash just before 4 AM in Murphy Canyon. Some were hospitalized.
