Evan McDonald grew up in a small house off Seaview Road in Grapeseed — the kind of place where you learn to respect the land early. His father, a hardworking Alamo Sea fisherman, taught him survival and patience. His mother, who volunteered with forestry programs in Paleto, showed him how every creek, coyote, and pine tree served a purpose. 

Chad Howard was born and raised in the dusty heart of Sandy Shores, long before it became the wild desert hub it is today. His father, Rick Howard, was a local mechanic who worked out of a small garage off Joshua Road, and his mother, Linda, ran a modest diner known for its homemade pie and no-nonsense attitude—traits Chad definitely inherited.

Before Phoenix Fury ever put on a uniform, he was a kid from the rougher edges of Los Santos, growing up surrounded by chaos but refusing to let it define him. His father, a retired firefighter, and his mother, a nurse, instilled in him a deep respect for service and sacrifice—but tragedy struck early when his father was killed in a warehouse fire while on duty.