Singer Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on NBC’s The Voice, passed away early Saturday morning after being shot at her concert in Orlando.
Grimmie, 22, was opening for the band Before You Exit at the Plaza Live concert venue Friday night. After the show, Grimmie was signing autographs at a merchandise table when a man with two guns approached her and shot her.
Orlando Police Department public information officer Wanda Miglio revealed during a press briefing that after the incident, Grimmie’s brother then “immediately tackled the suspect, stopping him from causing any more harm to Christina and her fans. During the struggle, the suspect shot himself. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene….Her brother is a hero for saving and stopping him from not hurting anyone else.”
The singer was then taken to the hospital in critical condition and died a few hours later.
With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, @TheRealGrimmie has died from her injuries.
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 11, 2016
Grimmie’s representative released the following statement:
“It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord. She was shot at her show in Orlando and, unfortunately, didn’t survive the gun shot wounds. We ask at this time that you respect the privacy of her family and friends in their time of mourning. If you’d like to give back to Christina’s family in her memory, please consider donating to the families GoFundMe page in their time of need.”
The suspect has not yet been identified. It is also unknown what his motive was and if he personally knew Grimmie.
Grimmie finished in third place on season six of NBC’s The Voice in 2014 and was part of Adam Levine’s team. The official Twitter account for The Voice responded to the news and changed its profile picture to black:
We are heartbroken. @TheRealGrimmie is a loved member of our family. Our thoughts are with her and her family. #PrayForChristina
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) June 11, 2016
There are no words. We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice. Our hearts go out to the friends, fans and family of @TheRealGrimmie.
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) June 11, 2016
When news of the shooting first broke out, Levine posted on Instagram:
A photo posted by Adam Levine (@adamlevine) on
Before You Exit also took to Twitter to react:
Today we lost an angel, sister, and a beloved friend. #RipChristinapic.twitter.com/EkwTKsaLFr
— Before You Exit⇞ (@beforeyouexit) June 11, 2016
Check out a performance of her track “With Love” when she returned to The Voice in December 2014:
