Thousands farewell slain singer Christina Grimmie at memorial service
June 18, 2016 Source: Associated Press
Thousands of friends and fans said farewell to The Voice singer Christina Grimmie at services in New Jersey today.
Grimmie's family received condolences for five hours before an emotional memorial service was held. The singer's music was played and a large picture of her was displayed on an easel.
The 22-year-old was shot to death last week as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando, Florida. Her assailant fatally shot himself.
Authorities said Grimmie was gunned down by Kevin Loibl the night of June 10 as she signed autographs after the Orlando show.
A motive for the shooting has not been determined and authorities said she had no personal connection to Loibl, who fatally shot himself after being tackled by her brother.
Grimmie was buried in a private ceremony yesterday.
Pop star Adam Levine, who mentored Grimmie when she finished third on The Voice, offered to pay for the funeral expenses.
Grimmie was a YouTube star who was widely known from her appearances on NBC's The Voice two years ago.
Grimmie often cited her mother's ongoing battle with breast cancer as her musical inspiration, including during her first appearance on The Voice in 2014, where her mother sobbed in the wings at her rendition of Miley Cyrus's Wrecking Ball.
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