For Christina Grimmie‘s family, June 10, 2016 will remain the worst day of their lives. It was the day their 22-year-old daughter was tragically taken from them.
She had just performed a show in Orlando, Florida and was doing a meet and greet when a deranged fan opened fire on her. She was opening her arms to hug him.
The family held a public memorial service on Thursday, June 16 in their hometown of Medford, New Jersey. They shared an emotional memorial video that will surely give you goosebumps.
The Grimmies were given a voice by Christina’s brother Marcus. He posted a few Facebook updates about the shooting, posted sweet photos of his sister, and revealed that her coach from The Voice, Adam Levine, had offered to pay for the cost of the funeral.
Now, over a month after she was killed, Christina’s parents are finally breaking their silence.
“As we have always known, Christina’s life was so very special, not only to us, but to everyone she touched with her joyful heart, beautiful voice and love for life and the Lord,” the family said. “Words cannot express what the many memorials, donations and tributes shared by Christina’s fans and those in the media and entertainment industry mean to us. She will live on in our hearts forever. We will take our time in determining the best ways to honor Christina moving forward.”
In the days since Grimmie’s death, her manager, Brian Teefey, set up a GoFundMe page to assist her family. The goal was $4,000, but currently, $196,000 has been donated.
Watch the emotional video below.