Chilling story of fan who was so obsessed with singer Christina Grimmie he ended up killing her
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Handout/Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
This is the tragic story of how Christina Grimmie was killed by a fan who had a terrifying obsession with the young singer.
The 22-year-old singing sensation first rose to fame when she appeared on season six of The Voice in 2014, being coached by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.
While the New Jersey singer didn't win the competition, she respectfully finished in third place and gained plaudits in Levine and Lil Wayne who both tried to sign her for their respective record labels.
Grimmie was destined for greatness, even owning a popular YouTube channel with 3.89 million subscribers - which has grossed over 688 million views.
Advert
That was until her fame caught the attention of Kevin Loibl, from Orlando, Florida.
The 27-year-old lived with his family, who claimed there was never a worry that he could be mentally ill.
However, Loibl had plastered his room in tinfoil and always had thick curtains drawn due to him claiming to have an 'aversion to light', his family stated.
They also conceded that he lived 'like a hermit'.
His obsession with the singer began in 2015, with a friend recalling to CNN how he would 'watch everything having to do with her' and would spend 'most of his waking hours' streaming videos of Grimmie or scrolling through her social media pages.
Loibl then purchased tickets to go see Grimmie perform in Orlando in 2016 - but little did anyone know that he had plotted her death in the days leading up to it.
The killer visited a gun store and purchased two guns, receiving the first on May 31, 2016 after a five-day wait, and then the second on June 7, just three days before her concert.
He then booked a hotel for $269 and arrived on June 9 with no luggage.
The receptionist who booked him in and told St. Petersburg police: "There was no luggage; no personal belongings visible and the bed looked as if he slept on top of the covers.
"In the trash it appeared he had purchased some food from the hotel snack bar and ate it in his room."
On June 10, the day of the concert, Grimmie hung around after the show had ended to sign autographs for fans who had gathered.
Just over 20 minutes later Loibl, finally got his chance to meet her.
Grimmie went to embrace him for a hug, but this is when he pulled out his gun and fired three rounds into her head and chest, before being tackled to the ground by her brother. As they scuffled he managed to break free, before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life.
Grimmie tragically died half an hour later after succumbing to gunshot wounds to her chest and head.
The murder-suicide shocked the nation, and calls were then made to up security at performing arts venues.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.