Gunman in 'Voice' singer Christina Grimmie's death plotted shooting
The Voice singer Christina Grimmie was fatally shot by a 21-year-old white male — armed with two guns and a knife — who traveled to Orlando from another city in Florida specifically to kill her, police said Saturday.
Grimmie, who had wrapped up her show with Before You Exit at the Plaza Live Theater, was shot late Friday while signing autographs and meeting fans. The suspect shot and killed himself after he was tackled by Grimmie's brother, Marcus. The 22-year-old singer died about five hours later at an Orlando hospital.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina declined to release the name of the suspect pending further investigation, but said he traveled from another — unidentified — Florida city to kill Grimmie. "He came here to commit this crime and had plans to travel back to where he came from," he said.
Mina said there was no indication Grimmie knew her assailant. He said detectives were attempting to get information from the suspect's phone and had not yet established a motive for the killing. Detectives were en route to the suspect's home city to search his residence, he added.
Mina indicated the suspect planned to leave Orlando by some form of public transportation, such as plane, train or bus. "There is is no car that we are looking for," Mina said. "He did make travel arrangements to get back where he was going."
Police said the suspect was carrying two handguns, additional ammunition and a large hunting knife. The shooting occurred near the back of the venue around 10 p.m. while Grimmie was hosting a meet-and-greet for fans. There were about 120 people in the theater at the time.
Mina said the gunman "approached her and opened fire, striking her." The police chief said the theater's security guards search bags of concertgoers when they arrive, but do not use a metal detector.
Police spokeswoman Wanda Miglio called Grimmie's brother a hero, crediting him with stopping the suspect from hurting anyone else.
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, who built up a huge fan base YouTube, appeared on season six of The Voice in 2014 where she finished in third place.
PHOTOS | Christina Grimmie -- A rising star
Photos: Christina Grimmie -- A rising star
#PrayforChristina started trending on Twitter as friends, fans and other singers hoped for the singer to pull through. Police announced early Saturday she had died from her injuries.
"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.”
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.
Sometimes God allows terrible things to happen in your life and you don't know why. But that doesn't mean you should stop trusting Him.
— Christina Grimmie (@TheRealGrimmie) February 21, 2013
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