Orlando Police Dept.(ORLANDO, Fla.) — Kevin James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, FL, has been identified as the suspect who fatally shot Christina Grimmie Friday night following a concert in Orlando, FL.
The Orlando PD’s Twitter account identified Loibl as the shooter, who took his own life after Christina’s brother Marcus tackled him on Friday. A statement posted on the door of Loibl’s home reads, “Deepest Sorrow for lost to the Family, Friends, & Fans of the Very talented, loving Christina Grimmie. No other comments.”
As previously reported, Loibl appears to have traveled to Orlando with the express purpose of attacking Christina; he had two handguns, two loaded magazines and a hunting knife on his person. It’s not believed that Loibl knew her personally.
Christina, 22, a former YouTube star, came in third on season six of The Voice as part of Team Adam levine. She was performing with the band Before You Exit in Orlando, and was shot while signing autographs after the show.
Her manager Brian Teefey, Selena Gomez’s stepfather, has established a Go Fund Me account for her family. So far, more than 34,000 dollars has been raised. In a statement on the GoFundMe page, Teefey writes, “Words cannot begin to describe the pain I am feeling. I learned this business through the eyes of a father and 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. I never could have imagined this horrific event being one of the pitfalls needing to be avoided.”
He adds, “In Christina’s honor, I have created a Go Fund Me page to assist her family in their time of need. As family, Mother, Father, and Brother made the ultimate family sacrifice to support Christina on her musical journey. They did nothing but love her and support her as family the best they knew how, the only worry I want them to have at this point is that of recovery. Grimms I love you, and miss you beyond comprehension.”
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