The music world mourns the passing of Christina Grimmie, a young songstress who captivated music lovers after showcasing her talent on "The Voice."
Grimmie, who was on Adam Lavine's team and finished in third place on season 6 of the competition, was killed Friday night after a concert she had with her band Before You Exit. The gruesome incident happened at The Plaza Live theater in Orlando, Florida during a fan meet-and-greet, where she was signing autographs.
According to CNN, a 21-year-old white man approached the artist in the venue armed with two handguns, two additional loaded magazines and a large hunting knife. He then shot and killed the 22-year-old singer and shot himself after Grimmie's brother tackled him. Grimmie was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead at the hospital a few hours later.
The motive of the man's action, identified as Kevin James, is unknown but authorities confirm that the suspect was not from Central Florida. "[He] traveled to Orlando apparently to commit this crime," Orlando Police Chief John Mina told reporters Saturday.
Investigators are going through the suspect's computer, phone and other belongings to try to find information, reports CNN.
Grimmie's former coach, Levine, expressed his sympathy on social media with the following message:
Behati and I are absolutely devastated and heartbroken by Christina Grimmie’s tragic death. Our hearts go out to her family. Christina was a natural, a gifted talent that comes along so rarely. 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.
We remember the powerhouse songstress with her impeccable audition on "The Voice," where her performance of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" nabbed her a four-chair turn from Levine, Usher, Shakira and Blake Shelton. In the clip, the Colombian singer, who instantly pressed her buzzer for the singer, is seen fighting with all her heart to get Grimmie on her team, prior to the contestant choosing Levine. May she rest in peace.
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