Quinten Plummer, Tech Times

Florida police still haven't determined the reason behind Christina Grimmie's untimely death, but they are working the obsession angle after the 22-year-old was gunned down in Orlando while signing autographs in a club on Friday, during one of the bloodiest weekends in the history of the US.

Police identified James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, Florida, as the shooter. He had traveled across the state to Orlando's The Plaza Live theater with two handguns and a hunting knife in tow.

After gunning down Grimmie, who died after being rushed to the hospital, Loibl turned the gun on himself and took his own life.

Officers were on the scene around 10:30 p.m., arriving just 2 minutes after they were dispatched.

"There was private security at the venue at the time of the shooting, but they were not armed law enforcement officers," stated a report from the Orlando Police Department. "There were no OPD Officers hired by the club to work extra duty Friday night."

While the club had security measures in place, patrons are not patted down nor sent through metal detectors, according to police. However, The Plaza Live's security staff checks bags brought into the club.

For now, The Plaza Live is suspending all of its events.

Brotherly Love

In their report, police revealed that the singer's brother may have saved the lives of others as he dove at the shooter to protect his sister from the gunfire. But after a tussle, the shooter shot himself during the meet and greet in which about 120 were in attendance.

To Marcus, Christina was more than a sister, her heroic sibling wrote in a Facebook Post. He still doesn't have words but said he has begun to feel a peace due in large to all of the support on social media he has been receiving.

"She was a partner in life. A superstar. A goofball. Introverted. And a friend to everyone. Genuinely," wrote Marcus. "But above all ... she was my baby sister. She loved the Lord and her family and was always there for me and I honestly don't know what ill do without her."

A rising star, Grimmie is best known for earning third place during the sixth season of NBC singing competition The Voice back in 2014.

However, the singer had already released several records and had amassed a large YouTube following before she appeared on the show.

Following Grimmie's death, her following and friends and coworkers expressed their feelings of loss on social media.

Adam Levine, who was Grimmie's coach on The Voice, offered condolences to her family.

"Behati and I are absolutely devastated and heartbroken by Christina Grimmie's death," Levine wrote in a tweet posted along with a pic of Grimmie and he. "Our hearts go out to her family."

The official Twitter account for The Voice wrote that the staff is "heartbroken" as a result of the loss of a "loved member of our family."

And Before You Exit, the band Grimmie had been touring with, wrote that its members "lost an angel, sister and beloved friend."

ⓒ 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tags: Christina Grimmie The Voice NBC
Join the Discussion

Related Article