YouTube sensation and “The Voice” Season 6 contestant Christina Grimmie was shot and killed Friday night when a gunman opened fire at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida, as she signed autographs for fans after a concert.
Grimmie’s brother immediately tackled the unidentified gunman, who then shot and killed himself during the struggle, police said.
She was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead several hours later.
Grimmie’s publicist, Heather Walsh, said in an email to the Associated Press, “We can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord.”
Police have not said why the man attacked Grimmie but an investigation is ongoing. Officers credited the singer’s brother with preventing the gunman from hurting others.
Grimmie, 22, finished third during season six of NBC’s “The Voice” in 2014, competing on the team of Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.
She burst onto the scene via YouTube as a teenager, racking up millions of views with her renditions of hit songs.
There are no words. We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice. Our hearts go out to the friends, fans and family of @TheRealGrimmie.
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) June 11, 2016
Grimmie performed with the band Before You Exit earlier in the night with about 60 to 100 people were in attendance, though only a handful remained when the shooting happened, according to police.
Levine posted a photo of himself with Grimmie on Instagram: “I’m sad, shocked and confused. We love you so much Grimmie. We are all praying hard that you can pull through this … this just isn’t fair.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGgRxnIKjWO/