Top News

The former drummer of Devil Wears Prada, Daniel Williams, has sparked grave concerns following his last post before a fatal crash.

The musician is feared to have perished in the shocking disaster that claimed at least two lives after a small aircraft

Merely hours before the tragedy, the 39-year-old shared a picture from the cockpit, claiming he was the "co-pilot now" in an ambiguous message that left many wondering if it was in jest. Earlier, he had excitedly posted,"'Here we go."

The aircraft departed from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on Wednesday at 11.15 pm ET, and flight tracking data shows its path. Reportedly, the plane made a fuel stop in Kansas before heading towards .

Tragically, the plane went down in a peaceful military neighbourhood in San Diego, causing destruction to homes and setting vehicles ablaze, with at least 15 properties reportedly affected by the calamity.

Over 50 police officers were dispatched to the distressing scene, evacuating residents from the vicinity. Around 100 locals were moved to a temporary shelter set up at a nearby primary school, reports the .

San Diego's Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy described the conditions during the crash as extremely foggy, stating: "You could barely see in front of you."

In a social media update on Wednesday, Williams informed his followers about his journey with music agent and aviator Dave Shapiro, sharing footage of himself getting on the aircraft.

Before jetting off, Williams took to social media to post a photo of the aircraft, captioned "flying back with @davevelocity" and followed up with a cockpit selfie, quipping: "Hey. Hey... you... look at me.... I'm the (co)pilot now."

Another snapshot from the same seat was simply captioned: "Here we gooooo." Since then, he hasn't updated his followers with any further posts.

Tragically, Shapiro's death in the crash has been confirmed by his agency, which released a heartfelt statement saying: "We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends."

Some of my very first shows were booked through Dave. I had a handful of shows with Daniel, always a pleasure to see him play. Gone way too soon." 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."

Tributes have been pouring in online as friends and fans mourn Shapiro. One Twitter/X user posted prematurely before official confirmation, writing: "Rest Easy, Daniel."

Another added: "Rest in Peace Dave Shapiro, Daniel Williams, and everyone on that flight.

"Some of my very first shows were booked through Dave. I had a handful of shows with Daniel, always a pleasure to see him play. Gone way too soon."

Music producer Ryan Bruce also paid tribute to Williams and Shapiro in a statement to He said: "Dave changed mine and a lot of other people's lives and the community he built and the network of bands he has worked with and supported will never forget him.

"Daniel left us a lot of music to remember him by and he was a super sweet guy."

Williams was previously a key figure in the highly acclaimed Christian metalcore outfit The Devil Wears Prada, before parting ways with the group in 2016 to focus on a career in software engineering.

At the time, a statement announcing his departure read: "With respect, we would like to let our fans know that Daniel is no longer in The Devil Wears Prada. We wish him nothing but the best with everything he does going forward.

"We're putting the finishing touches on our new album and look forward to releasing new music very soon. Much love, TDWP."