Fears are growing for Daniel Williams

Devil Wears Prada's Daniel Williams dead in plane crash after chilling post moments before disaster

Devil Wears Prada’s ex-drummer Daniel Williams, 39, is feared to have died in a plane crash that has killed at least two other people

by · The Mirror

Devil Wears Prada’s ex-drummer Daniel Williams' post has died in a jet crash that killed at least two other people after posting a chilling last message from the plane.

Hours before the incident, the 39-year-old star shared an image of himself at the plane's controls. He had said he was the "co-pilot now" in a message where it wasn't clear if he was joking. He had earlier captioned a post: "'Here we gooooo."

The plane had taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on Wednesday at 11.15pm ET, tracking data reveals. It's said the plan had stopped for fuel in Kansas before continue its journey to California.

One of Williams' social media uploads( Image: xcadaverx/instagram)

On its way, it crashed in a quiet military neighbourhood in San Diego. It's thought to have smashed homes and ignited cars, with reports saying at least 15 properties were impacted.

More than 50 police officers responded to the incident and evacuated all nearby homes. At least 100 residents were displaced to an evacuation centre at a nearby elementary school, according to reports.

San Diego Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said it was very foggy at the time of the crash. He said: "You could barely see in front of you."

Williams had shared he was travelling with Shapiro( Image: xcadaverx/instagram)

In an Instagram upload on Wednesday, Williams had told his followers that he was flying with music agent and pilot Dave Shapiro as he showed himself boarding the plane.

Before taking off, Williams shared a snap of the plane with the caption "flying back with @davevelocity" and a follow-up post sitting in the cockpit along with the words: "Hey. Hey... you... look at me.... I'm the (co)pilot now."

And a third picture in the same spot that said: "Here we gooooo." He has yet to share any further updates on his social media accounts.

Shapiro is sadly confirmed to have died in the crash, according to a statement from his agency. It read: "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. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time."

Mike Hranica, Jeremy DePoyster, Chris Rubey, Andy Tric, Daniel Williams and James Baney of The Devil Wears Prada in 2013( Image: Getty Images)

Friends and fans have been paying tribute to him on social media. Taking to Twitter/X, one user wrote before any official confirmation: "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 Daily Mail. 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,' Bruce told Daily Mail.

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

Williams was formerly a member of hugely-popular Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. He had left the band in 2016 to pursue a career in software engineering.

A statement confirming his departure at the time 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."

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