Once the sun had fully retreated from the skies above Marlton on June 13, hundreds of tiny flames slowly flickered to life along a field near the township municipal complex to illuminate the teary eyes and sullen faces of the mourners who huddled together for a candlelight vigil to remember slain Marlton native and national singing sensation Christina Grimmie.
Grimmie’s life was cut short days prior when on June 10 in Orlando, Fla. police say a man approached Grimmie inside the Plaza Live music venue after a late night performance and opened fire on Grimmie during a meet and greet with her fans.
Grimmie, age 22, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, but ultimately died from her wounds during the early morning hours of June 11.
Yet rather than only focus on her untimely death, those who spoke before the crowd at the vigil chose to celebrate the parts of Grimmie’s life that made her who she was — her musical talents, the countless fond memories she shared with friends, her strong Christian faith and her deep love of family.
Marcus Grimmie, Christina’s brother, spoke and gave thanks for the outpouring of support in the wake of Grimmie’s death from local community members, fans across the nation and other musical celebrities.
During the attack on Grimmie police say her brother tackled her assailant, who was armed with two small-caliber handguns, two loaded magazines and a large hunting knife, and shortly after the attacker shot and killed himself.
Orlando police have identified the man suspected of killing Grimmie as 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Fla, although at this time no motive for the shooting has been released.
“She loved this town, she loved this state, she loved singing, she loved the lord and she loved me,” Marcus Grimmie said. “She was just my baby sister.”
Pastor Dave Cortner of Bethel Baptist Church spoke of Grimmie’s strong commitment to her faith, and recounted a story of Grimmie having to overcome her nerves before the first time she sang before the church’s congregation.
Cortner also called attention to a message Grimmie posted on Twitter in February of 2013 that many of her fans and news outlets have been sharing since her death in which Grimmie said “Sometimes god allows terrible things to happen in your life and you don’t know why, but that doesn’t mean you stop trusting Him.”
Cortner praised Grimmie for her faith.
“To Christina herself, we would say thank you for using your incredible talent, making this community proud, but more importantly following our savior Jesus Christ,” Cortner said.
Grimmie began her rise to national prominence with a series of videos she first posted to YouTube in 2009 where she sang covers of songs such as Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA,” Justin Bieber’s “One Time,” and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
Those videos would reach millions of views, leading to Grimmie releasing her debut EP “Find Me” in 2011 and performing on tour and at events across the country throughout the next several years.
Grimmie would reach was what was perhaps the height of her fame in 2014 when she competed on NBC’s singing contest “The Voice,” where she finished in third place.
In an interview with The Sun in January 2011, Grimmie said it was still difficult for her to comprehend her sudden rise to fame, even as she was headed to Los Angeles to audition for several record companies.
“It’s already a big deal, and I thank God for that every day,” Grimmie said. “It’s very much a big deal for me, and I wake up in the morning and think, is this really happening to me? I’m just a normal 16-year-old girl who loves video games and my fans.”
A GoFundMe fundraising page has been set up at www.gofundme.com/christinagrimmie to raise money Grimmie’s family, who moved with the singer to Los Angeles several years ago to help further her career.
By the morning after the vigil, the fundraiser had already reached more than $150,000.
