San Diego plane crash victims: What we know about Dave Shapiro, Kendall Fortner, Emma Lynn Huke, Celina Kenyon
Share this @internewscast.com

The investigation into a fatal plane crash in San Diego, California, is ongoing, and information regarding the victims is emerging. Among those affected are three employees of a music agency.

Sound Talent Group, known for representing prominent bands in the pop-punk, metal, and hard rock genres, announced that the agency’s co-founder, Dave Shapiro, along with booking associates Kendall Fortner and Emma Lynn Huke, were among those who perished in the crash on Thursday.

On the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office website, 36-year-old Celina Marie Rose Kenyon was listed as a victim. She was a photographer and a mother.

Two other people aboard the plane who have not been identified are presumed dead.

Here’s what we know about the Sound Talent Group employees killed in the crash.

Dave Shapiro

Shapiro co-founded Sound Talent Group in 2018 with Tim Borror and Matt Andersen.

The 42-year-old had a pilot’s license and was listed as the owner of the plane that crashed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Dave Shapiro was a fervent supporter of independent musicians and played a role in establishing the National Independent Talent Organization. In 2012, Billboard recognized him as one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars in entertainment.

Shapiro grew up in upstate New York in the “straightedge hard-core” scene, a subculture that promotes not using drugs and alcohol in reaction to mainstream punk.

In high school, he started a band with his friends and got signed with Victory Records right when they graduated. They toured for a few years, during which he made connections in the music industry that would help his foray into the business side.

Shapiro said he became instantly hooked on aviation after taking his first intro flight at age 22. He seemed to love music and flying with equal passion, at one point opening an office of his talent agency at a hangar in San Diego.

Flying “helps me focus and helps me not be distracted by all the nonsense in the world, and whatever’s going on outside the plane kind of doesn’t matter in those moments,” Shapiro said in a 2020 podcast interview.

Shapiro owned a flight school called Velocity Aviation and a record label, Velocity Records.

He offered flights in both San Diego and Homer, Alaska, where he and his wife, Julia Pawlik Shapiro, owned a home, according to his online posts.

Shapiro married his wife in 2016 in the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska. They picked up their wedding licenses, got on a plane and flew to a glacier inside Denali National Park, landing with skis strapped to the plane’s wheels.

“When I met Dave, we became instantly bonded over the unconventional lifestyles we lead and our constant need for adventure,” she wrote in a blog post.

In 2019, he posted on Instagram that he had obtained his airline transport pilot rating, the highest level of certification issued by the U.S.

“Although I have a career and don’t plan to change that I always want to learn more and be a better pilot,’ he wrote. He was also an adrenaline junkie who enjoyed base-jumping.

Kendall Fortner

Fortner’s love for music began at an early age when her father began taking her to concerts.

According to Sound Talent Group, the 24-year-old loved all genres, from doo-wop to classic rock.

She taught herself to play multiple instruments, including the piano and guitar. She was born in Glendale and was raised in Santa Clarita.

Fortner attended West Ranch High School before graduating from San Diego State University in 2021 with a degree in business.

Having interned with Sound Talent Group in college, Fortner joined the company right after graduation as a booking associate.

“As early as her teenage years, Kendall had shown an interest in working on the business side of music, and the job at STG was a perfect fit that showcased her work ethic and ability to plan tours and festivals nationwide,” said the music agency.

Fortner was described as “the life of the party” and someone who lit up any room she entered.

She is survived by her parents Gary and Kristin, her brother Justin and his wife Hannah and their son, Theo, and her brother Jordan and his wife Kailey.

Emma Lynn Huke

Huke was born and raised in Orange County and knew very early on that she wanted to work in the music industry.

She was an avid dancer and was a part of a national championship-winning dance team at Santa Margarita Catholic High School.

After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2022 with a degree in journalism, Huke completed several internships in the music industry before joining Sound Talent Group in 2024 as a booking associate.

“There was nothing Emma loved more than live music,” said the agency. “She worked hard to save up money so she could travel to concerts and festivals. And while she loved all genres of music, her favorite artists to see live were Taylor Swift and The 1975.”

Huke also helped organize, plan and promote some of the agency’s biggest tours. Clients and friends called Huke “a force of nature” who brought joy and a light to everyone in her presence.

Huke is survived by her parents, Tim and Allison, and her younger sibling, Ellis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Arkansas police release sketch drawing in search for killer at Devil's Den State Park

Arkansas Police Unveil Sketch in Hunt for Killer at Devil’s Den State Park

In Little Rock, Arkansas, police have reported that the individual responsible for…
Active shooter report prompts massive police response in midtown Manhattan business district

Large Police Presence in Midtown Manhattan Business District After Active Shooter Alert

At least six individuals were injured by gunfire on Monday, and the…

Terrifying Videos Capture Floods Overwhelming China: Roads Become Rapids, at Least 38 Dead, 80,000 Evacuated from Beijing

TERRIFYING videos have emerged showing roads being turned into rivers after horror…
Two meteor showers will peak this week: How to watch

Catch the Peak of Two Meteor Showers This Week: Viewing Guide

Stargazers are in for a double feature in the sky this week.…

Could This Be Trump’s Strategy to Deter China’s Taiwan Invasion? Groundbreaking PRSM Missile Tested to Counter Xi’s Forces

A GAME-CHANGING new weapon has been successfully tested by the US as…
Iona strengthens to a Category 3 hurricane in the central Pacific off Hawaii

Iona Intensifies to Category 3 Hurricane in Central Pacific Near Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — Hurricane Iona has intensified into a Category 3 storm…
TEASER: '9-1-1: Nashville' joins 'DWTS,' 'High Potential,' 'Abbott Elementary' and more in ABC's primetime fall lineup

ABC Network Reveals Fall 2025 Premiere Dates for ‘9-1-1: Nashville,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and ‘High Potential’

LOS ANGELES — It’s heating up on ABC! The broadcast network announced…
NYC gunman Shane Tamura leaves NFL employee wounded in 345 Park Ave shooting

Gunman Shane Tamura injures NFL staffer in shooting at 345 Park Ave in NYC

An NFL employee is among the wounded in Monday’s deadly shooting inside…
Ex-Israeli official offers bold 2-pronged strategy as 'the only way' to free hostages from Hamas

Former Israeli Official Proposes Daring Dual Strategy as the Sole Solution for Releasing Hostages from Hamas

A former Israeli official has proposed a dual approach as “the only…
Tyrese Haliburton gets engaged to longtime girlfriend Jade Jones

Tyrese Haliburton Announces Engagement to Longtime Partner Jade Jones

Tyrese Haliburton pulled out all of the stops to propose to his…
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer in a meeting.

Trump Criticizes Sadiq Khan’s Performance, Only for Starmer to Defend Him: ‘He’s a Friend!’

DONALD Trump today savaged Sadiq Khan as a “nasty person” who has…
'The Golden Girls' celebrates a milestone anniversary with fans across the country

Fans nationwide celebrate a significant anniversary of ‘The Golden Girls’

Happy 40th anniversary to “The Golden Girls.” The cherished comedy featuring Bea…