Christina Grimmie, a former finalist on NBC’s “The Voice,” and the band, Before You Exit, had just finished a concert at the Plaza Live in Orlando FL. and lingered to sign autographs and sell merchandise.
“Christina was a natural, a gifted talent that comes along so rarely,” said Adam Levine in a statement. “She was taken from us too soon. This is yet another senseless act of extreme violence. I am left stunned and confused how these things can conceivably continue to happen in our world.”
At about 10:30PM, the police received calls about gunshots at Plaza Live. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two people who had been shot.
One of the fatalities was Grimmie, the 22-year-old singer who died of the injuries she suffered, the other was her suspected killer, identified as 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl, who also shot and killed himself.
Loibl,of St. Petersburg, “traveled to Orlando, apparently to commit this crime,” police told reporters. “And then had plans to travel back to where he came from.” Loibl was armed with two loaded handguns and had additional ammunition on his person, as well as a hunting knife. Detectives are looking at his phone and computer in hopes of identifying a motive.
Orlando PD detectives are meeting with Christina Grimmie’s family members today. In a statement today, Officer Michelle Guido said, “The Orlando Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the Grimmie family during this heartbreaking time.”
There was private security at the venue at the time of the shooting, but they were not armed law enforcement officers.
An investigation into the shooting found that a man came up to Grimmie after the show when about 120 people were still in the venue. The man opened fire, and Grimmie was hit. Grimmie’s brother then tackled the suspect. Grimmie was taken to a hospital but eventually died, according to a news release. There was nothing in the investigation to suggest that the gunman knew the singer personally.
Christina Grimmie was from Marlton, New Jersey and had more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube, finished in third place during Season 6 of “The Voice.” Her finale performances on the NBC singing show were watched by more than 11 million people, according to Nielsen.
“Words cannot begin to describe the pain I am feeling,” Grimmie’s manager, Brian Teefey, said in a statement. “I learned this business through the eyes of a father, and Christina was like a second daughter to me. All I wanted to do was assist her in achieving her musical dreams while protecting her from the pitfalls associated with the business.
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This was Christine performing, just hours before being shot.
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