Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2016 11:28:40 GMT -4
Christina Grimmie, a singer known for competing on The Voice, was shot and killed Friday night while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.
Grimmie, who had wrapped up the show with Before You Exit at the Plaza Live Theater, was meeting with fans when a man walked up to her and shot her, Orlando Sgt. Wanda Miglio said at a news conference.
Grimmie's brother tackled him. The suspect then shot himself.
Josh Call, who was working at a hot dog stand outside the venue, told the Orlando Sentinel that he heard four or five gunshots.
"It was quick like pow, pow, pow, pow," he said. Call said he then went inside the venue and saw a female victim with a gunshot wound to her head.
"This should have been something that was fun and exciting," Miglio said, "and for something like this to happen is just a tragedy."
Grimmie was taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Police said she died of her injuries about five hours later.
#PrayforChristina started trending on Twitter as friends, fans and other singers hoped for the singer to pull through. But police announced early Saturday that she had died from her injuries. She was 22.
"There are no words," The Voice tweeted. "We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice. Our hearts go out to the friends, fans and family of @therealgrimmie."
Fans and celebrities have expressed their grief and outrage on social media as they learned of Grimmie's death.
News of Grimmie’s death hit hard in her hometown of Evesham, N.J., where Mayor Randy Brown called her “one of Evesham’s shining stars” on Facebook.
“She was driven,” said Sam Student, who attended high school with Grimmie. “She knew what she wanted to do and did it wholeheartedly. … She was talented and I was fortunate to know her.”
Few details have been released about the suspect or the events that unfolded. Miglio said the suspect, who was not identified, had two guns with him, but she did not say what models the guns were, how many rounds were fired or whether the suspect and Grimmie knew each other.
"The investigation is in its preliminary stages," Miglio later said in a statement. "We know there are many questions and we will do our best to answer them as the investigations unfolds."
In a news conference, Miglio called Grimmie's brother a hero, crediting him with stopping the suspect from hurting anyone else.
Grimmie started out in her teens as a YouTube singer, posting videos of covers from her bedroom in Marlton, N.J. She eventually gained more than 2 million subscribers.
She reached a new level of fame after competing on The Voice on Adam Levine's team. Even though she placed third, Levine offered a record deal through 222 Records. Lil' Wayne also showed interest in her. She went with Island Records and was working on an album that was set to release in the fall — her first with a major record label.
"People have reached out to me after watching me on The Voice that I don't think would have taken me seriously when I was just solely making YouTube covers," she told Gannett NJ in 2015. "Being on The Voice stage week after week showed people that I can withstand pressure, keep myself in shape vocally, and constantly reinvent myself."
Grimmie was known for her incredibly wide voice range and discipline. Her cover of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" on The Voice stunned the audience and got a four-chair turnaround from the judges. After a cover of Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home," Rock and Hall of Famer (and Levine's mentor) Graham Nash said he was "amazed at the range and the control and the depth of her voice," according to People.
Fans remember not only Grimmie's talent but also her positivity. It's evident on her Twitter page, where several of her tweets have resurfaced, including some touching upon death and religion.
So sad of this young woman's fate
