MIAMI: The gunman who killed singer Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on the popular TV show “The Voice,” traveled to Orlando, Florida, apparently intending to attack her, police said.
Armed with two handguns, ammunition and a hunting knife, the suspect, identified as Kevin James Loibl, shot and fatally wounded the 22-year-old at the city’s Plaza Live Theater late Friday during a meet and greet with fans.
Grimmie — who had performed with the group “Before You Exit” — was rushed to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, but died of her wounds.
“The suspect traveled to Orlando, apparently, to commit this crime, and then had plans to travel back to where he came from,” Police Chief John Mina told reporters.
But the tragedy could have been far worse had Grimmie’s brother Marcus not tackled the suspect as he began shooting. Loibl, a 27-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, shot and killed himself after shooting Grimmie.
Detectives are scrutinizing Loibl’s cell phone and computer as they search for a motive.
Unarmed security guards at the concert conducted bag checks, police said, but failed to discover the shooter’s weapons.
Authorities said they were trying to determine if the shooter knew Grimmie or was a deranged fan.
“My heart is absolutely broken. I miss you Christina,” tweeted pop star Selena Gomez. She included a picture of herself and Grimmie, who was her friend and occasional backup singer.
Gomez’s stepfather Brian Teefey, who was Grimmie’s manager, opened an account on the GoFundMe crowd sourcing website to raise money for Grimmie’s family.
“Christina was like a second daughter to me. All I wanted to do was assist her in achieving her musical dreams while protecting her from the pitfalls associated with the business,” he said.
’The Voice’ star’s alleged killer traveled to target her
’The Voice’ star’s alleged killer traveled to target her
