Former Voice contestant shot dead at concert

Singer Christina Grimmie, who starred in NBC’s The Voice, was killed after being shot at a concert in Orlando, Florida by an unidentified gunman, who then killed himself, police said Saturday. “With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, @TheReal-Grimmie, has died from her injuries,” the Orlando police department said on its Twitter account.

The 22-year-old Grimmie performed late Friday with the group Before You Exit at Orlando’s Plaza Live Theatre and stayed after to sign autographs and sell merchandise.

A man, who was armed with two guns, walked toward her and shot her, the police said. “Christina’s brother immediately tackled the suspect, who shot & killed himself,” the police said. Grimmie was rushed to the Orlando Regional Medical Centre. The motive of the gunman, who was not identified, was unclear.

“We don’t know if he was just a crazy fan that followed her on Twitter or on the social media. We really don’t know,” police spokesperson Wanda Miglio said at a news conference. She said about 60 to 100 people attended the concert, but only a handful were left when the shooting occurred. Grimmie, who competed in the sixth season of The Voice in 2014, released her debut EP Find Me in 2011. “We are heartbroken,” the NBC talent show said on its Twitter account after the shooting, calling the young singer “a loved member of our family”. Adam Levine, the singer whose team she performed with on the program, posted a picture of himself with her on his Instagram account after the incident when the singer was taken wounded but still alive to the hospital.

“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,” he wrote, before news of her death became public.

Fans posted video clips on social media of her performances, including her cover of Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball during a blind audition on The Voice.

A New Jersey native, Grimmie first gained public attention with moving covers of hit songs in videos viewed by millions on YouTube.