The Voice Contestant Christina Grimmie Shot and Killed at Concert

UPDATED: Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on The Voice, was fatally shot Friday night at her concert in Orlando, Florida,Variety has confirmed.According to CNN, the shooter was a 21-year old man who apparently did not know the singer but had traveled to Orlando specifically to attack her.

UPDATED: Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on “The Voice,” was fatally shot Friday night at her concert in Orlando, Florida, Variety has confirmed. According to CNN, the shooter was a 21-year old man who apparently did not know the singer but had traveled to Orlando specifically to attack her.

The 22-year-old singer was a finalist on Season 6 of NBC’s hit singing competition show.

Grimmie was shot following her performance at the Plaza Live Theater in Orlando, Fla. when a man, who police have since identified as Kevin James Loibl, approached her during a meet-and-greet.

OPD can confirm 27 year old Kevin James Loibl, suspect who shot Christina Grimmie, is from St Petersburg, FL pic.twitter.com/iN6RUi3VRx

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 11, 2016

A statement from Grimmie’s team reads: “It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord. She was shot at her show in Orlando and, unfortunately, didn’t survive the gun shot wounds. We ask at this time that you respect the privacy of her family and friends in their time of mourning. If you’d like to give back to Christina’s family in her memory, please consider donating to the families’ GoFundMe page in their time of need.”

Following the shots, Grimmie’s brother reportedly tackled the shooter, who then shot himself and is dead.

Popular on Variety

Related Stories

Illustration of a digital brain surrounded by film festival awards laurels VIP+

What Film Fund From AI Startup Runway Means for Content’s Future

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Vice President Kamala Harris during Wednesday’s March 15, 2023 show. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Kamala Harris To Make First Late Night Appearance as Presidential Nominee This Tuesday on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'

Grimmie was brought to Orlando Regional Medical Center, per local NBC affiliate WESH, where she was in critical condition. Later that night, Grimmie’s reps confirmed her death to Variety.

Grimmie was on Adam Levine’s team during her time on “The Voice” when she came in third place. The young punk-pop singer has a large social media following, and promoted her Orlando show on her social platforms just hours before her tragic death.

Before Grimmie’s passing was confirmed, Levine took to Instagram to post a photo with the young musician with the caption, “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.”

“The Voice” coach Blake Shelton took to Twitter to also express his concern. He tweeted, “Cant believe this” and “praying.”

The Orlando Police also confirmed Grimmie’s passing on Twitter early Saturday morning, posting, “With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, has died from her injuries.”

“Christina’s talent, energy, and spirit set her apart as a true star, and this tragedy leaves a gaping hole in our NBC family,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment.

Radio Disney, which partnered with Grimmie on music releases and featured the singer at its Radio Disney Music Awards in April, called Grimmie “a wonderful young woman who reveled in sharing her talent and passion for music with the world.”

Awesomeness TV, who worked with Grimmie on music videos, added: “Christina was an incredible talent and bright light, and she had a deep personal connection with her millions of fans, while also making time to support the Humane Society. She will be missed by us all.”

Many other actors and musicians have taken to Twitter to post tribute to Grimmie, including Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Colton Haynes, Lucy Hale and more.

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXKCjq2taKaVrMBwr8eroKysmaOubrPRoqSeZZSarqV50qGmqKyZo7RuwMeeZK%2BnmZiybn2RaWhwcWNphXV7

 Share!