Former The Voice contestant Christina Gimmie, who placed 3rd in her 2014 run as a member of Adam Levine‘s team, was shot and killed at her concert in Orlando, Florida last night.
The tragic news was confirmed by Gimmie’s publicist, who released a brief statement to E! News:
It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord. She was shot at her show in Orlando and, unfortunately, didn’t survive the gun shot wounds. We ask at this time that you respect the privacy of her family and friends in their time of mourning. If you’d like to give back to Christina’s family in her memory, please consider donating to the families GoFundMe page in their time of need.
According to Orlando police, a band that also performed last night, Before You Exit, was signing autographs when a man walked up to Gimmie and shot her. Gimmie’s brother, who was next to her, attacked the shooter before he could cause any more harm to Gimmie or others. The gunman, who appeared to be acting alone, shot himself and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gimmie was rushed to a local hospital where she eventually passed away.
The gunman has not been identified as of the time of this writing, but to reiterate, he has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A full investigation is already underway.
Christina was 22. Rest her soul.
We are heartbroken. @TheRealGrimmie is a loved member of our family. Our thoughts are with her and her family. #PrayForChristina
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) June 11, 2016
There are no words. We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice. Our hearts go out to the friends, fans and family of @TheRealGrimmie.
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) June 11, 2016