“She was doing a meet-and-greet, just signing autographs and selling merchandise”.
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Though the venue doesn’t have metal detectors or require pat downs, Mina said security officers checked bags and purses at the facility’s entrance. “We believe he came here to commit this crime”.
Grimmie was most widely known from those TV appearances two years ago, when she rocked listeners with her renditions of songs including “Wrecking Ball” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, and finished third.
She said she posted her first video on YouTube at the urging of a friend who thought she was better than the artists already online. The attacker shot and killed himself during the incident, police said.
The Plaza Live issued a statement extending condolences to the victims and indicating all activities and events have been suspended “until further notice”.
“Very heroic actions by Marcus Grimmie to jump in and it definitely could have prevented further loss of life”, Mina said.
The suspect “walked toward Christina and shot her”, police said in a Twitter message.
About 120 fans were still milling around the theatre when the shooting occurred, Mina said.
Detectives were searching Loibl’s cellphone and social media accounts looking for clues as to a motive, Mina said, but they weren’t aware of any history of stalking of Grimmie by the suspect.
The man who shot and killed Grimmie was Kevin James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, Florida, police said.
The shooter was armed with handguns and a hunting knife, authorities wrote on Twitter. “And then had plans to travel back to where he came from”.
The police chief praised Ms Grimmie’s brother Marcus.
“Christina was a natural, gifted talent that comes along so rarely”, wrote Adam Levine, singer and Grimmie’s mentor on “The Voice” that brought her to the finals. Singer Christina Grimmie was shot after a concert at The Plaza Live Friday, June 10, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. We are all praying hard that you can pull through this.
Usher, who also coached on the series, added: “To an unbelievable soul and voice. may your legacy live on forever”.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2014 that Grimmie moved to Los Angeles in 2012 after joining Selena Gomez on tour to focus on her singing career. “I am left stunned and confused how these things can conceivably continue to happen in our world”.
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“It was quick like pow, pow, pow, pow”, he told the newspaper.
