‘The Voice’ Contestant Christina Grimmie’s Tragic Death Happened the Same Weekend as the Pulse Nightclub Shooting
NBC’s The Voice is one of the most popular reality television series on the air. Over the course of the series’ twenty seasons, the contestants and beloved judges have won over the hearts of viewers everywhere.
The premise of the show revolves around the participants being selected for different teams and then battling it out on the stage. Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine are just a few of the highly-respected celebrities to take on these coaching positions. Since The Voice first premiered back in 2011, the singing competition show has helped many stars make a name and career for themselves. Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery, and Jordan Smith are just a few of the talented individuals who went on to thrive after appearing on the show.
Christina Grimmie was another remarkable singer who gained momentum and fame while on The Voice. Take a look back at the singer’s journey to stardom, her tragic murder, and the uncanny timing and place behind Grimmie’s gruesome death.
Christina Grimmie’s journey in the spotlight
TIME is one of the many publications to recap Grimmie’s humbling path to fame. The young singer shared a cover of a Miley Cyrus song on YouTube, and the rest was seemingly history.
Slowly but surely Grimmie’s singing career started taking off. She released an EP in 2011, and just a few years later she appeared on season six of The Voice. The ambitious singer joined Adam Levine’s team, and the two formed a close bond while working together. Though Grimmie didn’t end up winning that season of The Voice, she walked away nonetheless ready to take her career to the next level.
Christina Grimmie’s tragic death
After her time on The Voice, Grimmie immediately began writing, recording, and releasing new music. Side A premiered in 2016, but, unfortunately, much of Grimmie’s music came out after the star’s shocking and tragic death.
As Los Angeles Times reported, Grimmie had just performed a concert in Orlando, Florida and was doing a meet-and-greet when things took a sudden turn for the worse. A white male who would later be identified as 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl approached the singer and violently went on to shoot her. Fortunately, Grimmie’s brother, Marcus Grimmie, was able to tackle the shooter before any more damage took place, but, sadly, his sister did not survive the incident.
The singer’s brother remorsefully explained the scene of the crime, and shared, “All the rumors are true that when the gunman came…her arms were open. That’s how she treated everyone she knew, her arms were open for them. So thanks again for coming out, you guys, and I love you, Christina.” Strangely enough, Grimmie’s devastating death wasn’t the only startling tragedy to take place that weekend in Orlando, Florida.
Christina Grimmie’s devastating murder wasn’t the only tragedy to take place that fateful weekend in Orlando, Florida
On Friday, June 10, 2016 Grimmie was wrongfully and tragically killed. The murder took place in Orlando, Florida, and just two days later, residents and the world would witness yet another violent disaster in Orlando. That following Sunday, on June 12th, a gunman at Pulse, a popular nightclub, shot and killed 49 individuals.
The mass shooting and Grimmie’s death don’t just share a similar location and timeline. Both of the horrific crimes were made possible as a result of gun violence, which continues to be a pressing and ongoing issue in the country.
