2 victims identified in deadly San Diego plane crash

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - A small plane crashed into a San Diego military neighborhood early Thursday morning, killing multiple people, setting roughly a dozen homes on fire, and spewing fuel and debris across the area.

What we know:

The 4 a.m. plane crash killed at least two people, and there were at least eight people injured who were on the ground in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, where many people who serve in the Marines and Navy live, San Diego officials said at a news conference. 

About 100 people were displaced following the crash. 

The neighborhood is near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, a smaller airport on the north side of the city.

The privately owned Cessna 550 aircraft can carry between six and eight people. 

San Diego Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy said the plane was registered in the Midwest and had taken off from Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking database.

Two victims identified

What they're saying:

The music agency Sound Talent Group said three of its employees, including co-founder Dave Shapiro, died in the crash. However, officials have only confirmed two fatalities. 

The FAA reported six people were on board the plane.

Shapiro is listed as the owner of the plane and has a pilot’s license, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Shapiro also owned a flight school called Velocity Aviation and a record label, Velocity Records, according to his LinkedIn page.

Sound Talent Group didn’t share the names of the other two employees who died.

"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," the agency said in a statement.

TMZ reported the family of a former metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada drummer was also killed in the crash, identified as Daniel Williams.

The Devil Wears Prada wrote on Instagram, "We owe you everything. Love you forever." In the post are photos of both Shapiro and Williams. 

The rock and alternative music community responded on social media with posts sharing their condolences. Many musicians said they owe their careers to Shapiro.

Los Angeles-based rock band rosecoloredworld wrote that Shapiro's death will have a "ripple effect" on its band members, who said he signed them to his label last year, adding, "Because [Dave] took a chance on us, we now have a career."

What we don't know:

It wasn't immediately clear why the plane crashed, but authorities noted dense fog in the area, and a clipped power line was found at the scene. 

Military neighborhood

"This is one of the largest military housing units in the world," said Capt. Bob Healy, commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego. "Certainly, we have a lot of military families that are impacted. Again, I want to send our condolences and thoughts and prayers to all of those impacted by this. Our foremost concern right now is to make sure that we have the safety of our, our families who reside in the neighborhood." 

Speaking at a news conference, Councilman Raul Campillo said that overall, San Diego is home to one of the largest installments of U.S. military active service members and veterans. 

This particular neighborhood is home to about 2,300 military homes. 

Campillo said he's already heard stories of heroism, where military family members were helping each other jump out of windows and avoid the fire.

"These are families and San Diego values we're proud of," he said. "And we're going to continue to support these military families who are from all over the country but live right here in San Diego." 

Navy Chief Damage Controlman Gilbert Gonzalez told Fox 11 that he had been sleeping when he heard a loud boom and awoke to his house shaking.

He peeked out the window and yelled "Fire!" to his wife.

He then ran outside to see if anyone needed help.

"We just jumped into action," he said. "This is our community."  

Big picture view:

The neighborhood looked like a mini war zone. 

Fox 5 San Diego shared photos of one house that bore the brunt of the damage at Sculpin Street and Santo Road. At least three cars were seen burned in the driveway and the roof was partially collapsed. 

Plane debris was scattered on the streets. 

"I can't quite put words to describe what the scene looks like," Police Chief Scott Wahal said, adding that about 100 people were displaced. "With the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see."

And when the plane crashed, Eddy said that "every single car was burning down both sides of the street."

What's next:

The National Transportation Safety Board was called to investigate, and the FAA was expected to provide more details. 

The FAA will release a preliminary report about 24 hours after the crash.

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