A memorial is planned for singer Christina Grimmie on Friday. The 22-year-old, who rose to fame on NBC’s “The Voice,” was gunned down after a performance one week ago in Orlando, Florida.
Grimmie was laid to rest in her native New Jersey during a private burial ceremony Thursday night, according to a spokesperson for her family. On Friday afternoon, a public memorial service will be held at the Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, New Jersey.
Grimmie was signing autographs in a crowd after her concert at The Plaza Live Theater when a man approached and opened fire. The singer’s brother, Marcus Grimmie, tackled the shooter before the gunmen killed himself. Orlando police have identified the killer but have not offered a possible motive.
At a vigil in Grimmie’s New Jersey hometown earlier this week, her brother spoke briefly about his “baby sister” in front of a gathering of her supporters.
“Christina was awesome,” Grimmie said. “She loved singing, she loved the Lord and she loved me.”
Christina Grimmie was a finalist on Adam Levine’s team on “The Voice” in 2014. The Maroon 5 frontman is paying for funeral expenses, according to her family.
Levine, Blake Shelton and other music industry stars expressed their shock and sadness when news of Grimmie’s death broke.
Just hours later, another gunman would commit the nation’s deadliest mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50.