A beloved music teacher, a grandad of six, and a cancer survivor were among the victims identified as three of the 12 victims killed in a fiery skydiving plane crash in Missouri on Sunday.
11 skydivers and their pilot were killed after the pilot's airplane made a sudden turn midair near Business 49 Highway and plummeted into a field around 11:30 am local time. The flight, which departed from Butler Memorial Airport, was said to be operating for Skydive Kansas City when it crashed into a huge fireball.
Avid skydiver and teacher Dave Hershberger was among those killed in this crash. He reportedly taught orchestra at Oak Park High School and at Antioch Middle School in the North Kansas City School District, sources shared. The principals of both schools sent out a joint email to the families reeling from his loss.
Grandfather Mike Shanahan was also en route to complete his 23rd tandem jump when the sudden disaster unfolded. He was described as the best father to his six children, a very humble man, and a very dedicated individual, native to the city.