A gunman opened fire at a Florida concert venue as singer Christina Grimmie signed autographs for fans after a show, killing the onetime star of The Voice before shooting and killing himself, officials said Saturday.
Grimmie’s publicist Heather Walsh said in an email early Saturday that “we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord.”
Grimmie, a New Jersey native, finished third during season six of NBC’s The Voice in 2014, competing on the team of Maroon 5 star Adam Levine. She began amassing a following on YouTube as a teenager, gripping online viewers with her powerful renditions of hit songs. Her videos on YouTube have garnered millions of views.
Police said in a news release that the 22-year-old singer had performed with the band Before You Exit at The Plaza Live in Orlando. The concert ended around 10 pm, and Grimmie was shot as she signed autographs for fans at a merchandise table.
Grimmie’s brother immediately tackled the gunman, who then shot and killed himself during the struggle, police said. The gunman was not identified, and police have not said why he attacked the singer.
An investigation is ongoing, but police credited the singer’s brother with preventing the gunman from hurting others.
Sgt Wanda Miglio said during a news conference, after the shooting, that about 60 to 100 people were in attendance, though only a handful remained when the shooting happened.
Miglio said she did not know what security was like at the venue, or how the shooter got two guns inside. She also said she did not know if off-duty officers were working the concert.
It was just a casual event.Sgt Wanda Miglio
Grimmie had posted a video of herself shortly before the concert was scheduled to begin, encouraging fans to come see her perform.
Levine posted a photo of himself with Grimmie on Instagram, before before her death was confirmed.
When reports of Grimmie’s death first surfaced, #PrayforChristina was the top trending hashtag on Twitter. After her death was confirmed, #RIPChristina became the top trending hashtag as Grimmie’s fans took to social media to express the grief.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2014 that Grimmie moved to Los Angeles in 2012, after joining Selena Gomez on tour to focus on her singing career.
“I’m done being surprised by cool things she does. She’s very talented and she’s worked incredibly hard – it’s a dangerous combination,” her brother Mark Grimmie told the newspaper at the time.
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