She was discovered on YouTube, where she amassed more than 3 million followers. Grimmie went on to win a spot on Season 6 of NBC's "The Voice" after her show-stopping performance of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" during a blind audition captivated the attention of all four contestant judges. The rising star finished third in the overall contest but went on to share her voice with the world. Grimmie was signing autographs late Friday after a show at the The Plaza Live theater when a man approached and opened fire, police spokeswoman Wanda Miglio said Grimmie was rushed to a hospital, where she died. The man who shot and killed Grimmie was Kevin James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, Florida, police said,
But they didn't give any background on Loibl or offer a possible motive.Loibl fatally shot himself after Grimmie's brother, Marcus Grimmie, tackled him, police said in a news release. About 120 people were at the meet-and-greet, police said, and the brother's quick action may have saved other lives, police said.The shooter had two handguns, two additional loaded magazines and a large hunting knife, police Chief John Mina said at a news briefing. Fans, friends and celebrities showed an outpouring of sorrow on social media using #RIPChristinaGrimmie.
One of her friends and mentors was singer Selena Gomez, who tweeted: "My heart is absolutely broken. I miss you Christina."
"As you've seen all over social media, anyone who ever came across her or knew her, knows that she was just a truly good person, somebody you loved to be around, somebody who cared about the people around her and the world around her, it's just a huge tragedy, "The Voice", Season 6 winner Josh Kaufman told CNN's "New Day" on Saturday. Alex Michael Lange @alexmlange
this Grimmie story really hit me hard.. she was one of my favorite celebrities growing up and I watched all her videos. #RIPChristinaGrimmie.The band that was touring with Grimmie, Before You Exit, said on Twitter that its members are heartbroken.
"Christina was such a loving, caring, beautiful person with the biggest heart," Before You Exit said a statement attached to one of its tweets. "She was an absolutely incredible musician and an even better friend."