A man thought to be a deranged fan fatally shot Christina Grimmie, a rising singing star who gained fame on YouTube and as a contestant on television’s “The Voice,” while she was signing autographs after a concert in Orlando, Florida, police said on Saturday.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was tackled by the 22-year-old singer’s brother in the Friday evening attack, Orlando police said.
Loibl is believed to have traveled to Orlando for the event. He had two loaded handguns, additional ammunition and a hunting knife at the time of the shooting, police said.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina told reporters the suspect did not appear to have a criminal record and there was no indication he and Grimmie knew each other. Mina said it appeared he may have been a deranged fan.
“We believe he came here to commit this crime,” Mina said.
According to The Santa Monica Observer, compilations of Loibl’s emails and internet posts concerning Grimmie reportedly indicate he might have targeted her for her Christian faith. Investigators have not confirmed those claims.
Grimmie, who had just performed as the opening act for the band Before You Exit, was inside the Plaza Live concert hall signing autographs at the time of the shooting.
The suspect approached Grimmie and opened fire. He was then rushed by the singer’s brother.
“Her brother, Marcus, is a hero and possibly saved countless other lives. He is not injured,” Orlando police said in a statement, adding there were about 120 people at the venue at the time.
Christina Grimmie was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and died early Saturday morning. The suspect died at the scene of the shooting.
Although patrons had their bags and purses checked for weapons at the venue, there were no metal detectors and the security guards were unarmed, Mina said.
Superstar and her strong faith
Grimmie’s brother mourned the loss of his sister in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“Christina was more than my sister,” People magazine reported the post as saying.
“She was a partner in life. A superstar. A goofball. Introverted. And a friend to everyone. Genuinely. But above all … she was my baby sister. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without her,” he wrote in the post.
A note expressing condolences was posted on the door of the Loibl home in St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Times and local broadcaster WFLA reported.
“Deepest sorrow for lost (sic) to the family, friends & fans of the very talented, loving Christina Grimmie. No other comments,” it read.
A New Jersey native, Grimmie first gained attention several years ago for her YouTube videos featuring covers of pop songs, which drew millions of views. In 2014, she placed third on the “The Voice,” a singing competition broadcast on NBC.
As a child, Grimmie listened to Christian contemporary music and named Stacie Orrico as a musical inspiration.
Fans adored Grimmie’s cover of “In Christ Alone” and she called herself a “full-on Christian who loves Jesus.” In 2011, Entertainment Weekly named Grimmie “the veritable queen of YouTube musicians.”
T.J. Wilkins, another competitor on The Voice, recalled her vibrant faith.
“What I’ll remember most about you is our conversation about faith and the love of Christ,” he said.
Fans took to social media to express their sorrow, with the hashtag #RIPChristina trending on Twitter.
“There are no words,” tweeted “The Voice” early on Saturday. “We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice.”
Josh Kaufman, who beat out Grimmie to win the 2014 season of “The Voice,” tweeted, “My deepest and most sincere condolences go out to the family of @TheRealGrimmie. Such a tragic loss.”
Grimmie’s own Twitter account still showed a video she posted on Friday asking fans to come out to see her perform. Her account tweeted a simple message Saturday morning: “The end.” The post was retweeted more than 65,000 times within an hour.
— by Joseph Ax | Reuters
CNJ staff added to this report
Christina Grimmie sings “In Christ Alone”