Vigil set for singer Christina Grimmie;her killer's motive remains a mystery
A vigil has been scheduled for Monday night in Evesham Township for singing sensation Christina Grimmie, the 22-year-old South Jersey native gunned down Friday night after a concert in Orlando.
A vigil has been scheduled for Monday night in Evesham Township for singing sensation Christina Grimmie, the 22-year-old South Jersey native gunned down Friday night after a concert in Orlando.
Grimmie, who gained national recognition after her third-place finish on NBC's The Voice in 2014, grew up in the Marlton section of the township.
The vigil will begin at 8:45 p.m. at Evesham's memorial complex, 1004 Tuckerton Rd., Mayor Randy Brown posted Sunday on Facebook.
Grimmie was shot while signing autographs and died early Saturday morning at a nearby hospital.
No new details, including what motivated Grimmie's alleged killer, Kevin James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, Fla., emerged Sunday as police in Orlando on Sunday confronted the worst mass shooting in U.S. history - at least 50 patrons at a gay nightclub were killed, and at least 53 were injured.
There was no indication that Grimmie's death and the massacre at Pulse nightclub were connected.
An outpouring of grief from Grimmie's dedicated fan base - which swelled as she grew from a teenage YouTube sensation into a popular Voice star - continued Sunday.
A short video of Grimmie's final performance Friday, posted on Facebook and later shared by her brother, Marcus, had been viewed more than four million times by Sunday night. A fund-raising page to support Grimmie's family had recorded more than $85,000 in donations. An online petition to name a character after her in a forthcoming "Legend of Zelda" video game - Grimmie was an avid gamer - had garnered more than 2,500 signatures.
Fans posted videos on YouTube of singer Selena Gomez tearfully dedicating a song to Grimmie at her concert in Miami on Saturday night.
"I don't really understand how this really happened," said Gomez, who said she had met Grimmie at age 14.
Orlando police said Grimmie was shot by Loibl at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, a half-hour after her concert with the band Before You Exit at the Plaza Live.
Grimmie was signing autographs for fans when Loibl opened fire, police said. After the shooting started, Marcus Grimmie, 23, lunged at Loibl and tackled him. Loibl then shot and killed himself, police said. Orlando Police Chief John Mina called Marcus Grimmie "a hero" and said he undoubtedly saved lives with his actions.
Police said Saturday that Loibl traveled more than 100 miles from St. Petersburg to kill Grimmie, arming himself with two small-caliber handguns, two loaded magazines, and a large hunting knife.
Loibl did not know Grimmie, but might have been a deranged fan, Mina said.
Loibl's family posted a note on the door of their St. Petersburg home expressing sorrow for Grimmie's death and saying they would have no other comments, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
As a teenager in Marlton, Grimmie earned a huge following by posting videos online of her singing and playing keyboard in her bedroom, with a Sonic the Hedgehog poster taped to the wall behind her.
She attended Cherokee High School through her sophomore year, before moving to Los Angeles in 2012 to join Gomez on tour and focus on singing.
On The Voice, Grimmie was coached by Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine.
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