The weekend of June 10, 2016, was plagued by tragedy in Orlando, Florida. On Sunday, June 12, a gunman opened fire on clubgoers at the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people and wounding 58. It was Latin Night at the local favorite gay club, and many of the victims were barely in their early 20s.
But that Friday, another shooting took place near downtown that heralded one of the darkest times for the city. 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie was meeting with fans after a performance at the Plaza Live Theater. She was outside the venue signing autographs alongside pop-punk band Before You Exit, who she was supporting on tour.
A fan approached her, and she went to embrace him. Instead, he pulled out a gun and shot her. Grimmie’s brother, Marcus, tackled the shooter, 27-year-old Kevin Loibl. But he eventually got free, only to then kill himself.
Grimmie had been shot once in the head and twice in the chest. She died roughly five hours later at Orlando Regional Hospital. Loibl was described by police as an obsessed fan who traveled two hours from St. Petersburg to Orlando specifically to kill Grimmie. Although police found no clear motive for Loibl’s crime, reports indicated that he was convinced Grimmie was his “soulmate.”
Christina Grimmie’s Death Was Soon Overshadowed by the Mass Shooting at the Pulse Nightclub
Unfortunately, Christina Grimmie’s tragic murder didn’t have much of a chance to immediately become widespread national news. Barely two days later, the mass shooting at Pulse occurred, rocking Orlando to its core and taking precedence for a moment.
However, it’s not a tragedy competition. Grimmie was, and still is, remembered by her family, friends, and fans. One of those friends was Selena Gomez, as her stepfather discovered Grimmie through her YouTube videos and became her manager. Grimmie even supported Gomez on two tours.
She started out posting cover songs on YouTube, going viral in 2009 when she was 15. Her vocal talents earned her a spot on The Voice in 2014, where she reached the Top 3. She was active on social media and had more than 3 million followers on YouTube.
In April 2017, Grimmie’s family started a foundation in her name. The Christina Grimmie Foundation supports families of gun violence victims through donations, giving away roughly $600,000 since its inception. They’ve helped support victims of several mass shootings in the U.S., like Uvalde, Buffalo, and Sacramento in 2022, and the Las Vegas Route 91 shooting in 2017.
On June 10, 2026, a new documentary was released on YouTube marking the 10th anniversary of Grimmie’s death. Christina Grimmie: Her Voice and Legacy a Decade Later features interviews with her brother Marcus, friends, and people who knew her, reflecting on Grimmie’s life and that tragic night.
The post 10 Years Ago, a YouTube Star and ‘The Voice’ Finalist Was Murdered by Her Stalker While Meeting Fans appeared first on VICE.
