- .Grimmie, 22, was shot in the head around 10.30pm Friday in Orlando
- .Her publicist confirmed she died from her injuries at 2.45am
- .As many as five shots were fired during a meet-and-greet with fans
- .Her brother Mark tackled the gunman, who then shot himself dead
- .The identity or motive of the gunman has not been released
- .There were no other injuries at the shooting at the Plaza Live Theater
- .Grimmie, from New Jersey, came third in the 2014 edition of The Voice
- .Adam Levine, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas have paid tribute to singer
Heartbroken fans and celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to singer and former star of the The Voice Christina Grimmie after she was shot dead while signing autographs in Orlando.
The 22-year-old was attacked while backstage around 10.30pm at the Plaza Live Theater while signing autographs with the band Before You Exit at a merchandise table when a gunman fired at her.
The singer's brother, Mark, tackled him before the gunman killed himself as the shocking incident happened in front of about 60 children and teenagers.
She was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in a critical condition; one witness said he saw her bleeding from the head and being given chest compressions.
Tragic: Singer Christina Grimmie was fatally wounded at around 10.30pm Friday after a concert (above) at the Plaza Live theater in Orlando. The shooting happened as she signed autographs for fans
Scene: Authorities are unclear of how the attacker was able to make it inside The Plaza Live (above) with two guns
Devastated fans outside the Plaza Live Theater on Bumby Avenue in Orlando wait for news after the shooting
The gunman died on the scene and no one else was hurt during the shooting. At 2.45am her publicist confirmed the star had died from her injuries.
'It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord. She was shot at her show in Orlando and, unfortunately, didn't survive the gun shot wounds,' she said.
'We ask at this time that you respect the privacy of her family and friends in their time of mourning. If you'd like to give back to Christina's family in her memory, please consider donating to the families GoFundMe page in their time of need.'
Orlando Police later confirmed her death on Twitter.
'With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, has died from her injuries', they said.
Orlando Police later confirmed her death on Twitter and wrote the above message
Mortally wounded: Grimmie was shot in the head by the attacker who was tackled by her brother before shooting himself, witnesses said. No-one else was harmed
Tragic: Adam Levine, a coach on The Voice, shared a photo (above) to Instagram of him smiling with the brunette beauty and wrote that he's 'sad and shocked' by her death
Singer Demi Lovato was one of many who tweeted tributes in the wake of the shooting
Nick Jonas posted this picture of himself and Christina Grimmie, on Instagram after hearing of her death
Not long after the news of her death emerged online, #RIPChristina started trending on Twitter, with celebrities, friends, and fans paying tribute to the young woman.
Adam Levine, a coach on The Voice, shared a photo to Instagram of him smiling with the brunette beauty and wrote: 'I'm sad, shocked and confused. We love you so much Grimmie. We are all praying hard that you can pull through this...this just isn't fair.'
Singer Demi Lovato took to Twitter and wrote: '#RIPChristina my thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones..'
Nick Jonas also shared a photo to Instagram showing a beaming Grimmie next to him and wrote: ' #ripchristina' before a broken heart emoji.
The band who she played with Friday night shared a long tribute to her on Twitter and wrote that they lost an 'angel, sister and beloved friend.'
'Christina was such a loving, caring, beautiful person with the biggest heart. She was an absolutely incredible musician and an even better friend,' the band tweeted.
NBC's The Voice paid tribute to the singer on Twitter not long after news of her death emerged
The Voice wrote that she was a 'loved member of our family'
Actress Ariel Winter also paid tribute to the singer on Twitter and wrote the above message
Actress Hailee Steinfeld, who appeared in True Grit and Pitch Perfect 2, tweeted this tribute
'We are so saddened by her passing and are completely heartbroken.
'Words fail to describe how much Christina means to all of us. She was always a constant beam of light and energy into the hearts of everyone around her.
'Her carefree spirit and her laughter constantly lit up every room she entered and she always had this glisten in her eyes which was evident in her faith.
'While we know there is no sort of feeling that can replace the joy Christina brought into our lives, we know she is glistening from up in Heaven and shining down on all of us.
'Please join us in keeping Christina's family in your prayers as we know Jesus said, 'In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.' She and her talent will be missed by us all,' the band added.'
NBC's The Voice tweeted: 'There are no words. We lot a beautiful soul with an amazing voice.
'Our hearts go out to the friends, fans and family of @TheRealGrimmie. We are heartbroken. @TheRealGrimmie is a loved member of our family.
'Our thoughts are with her and her family. #PrayForChristina'
Hero: Christina's brother, Mark Grimmie (pictured with his sister), was hailed a hero by police for tackling the shooter and stopping any further bloodshed. He was sadly unable to save his sister
Before: Grimmie, who has a strong presence on YouTube and social media, had attracted a number of children and teens to the concert - many of whom were present when she was shot
Actress Ariel Winter also paid tribute to the singer on Twitter and wrote: '#RIPChristina -another senseless act of violence against a soul so beautiful...everyone please send support and love to her family.'
Actress Hailee Steinfield, who appeared in True Grit and Pitch Perfect 2, tweeted: 'At a complete loss for words. Unbelievable. My heart breaks over the news.'
Josh Call told The Orlando Sentinel he was outside the venue working at a vegan hot dog stand when he heard four or five gunshots.
'It was quick like pow, pow, pow, pow,' he said, adding that a security guard jolted at the sound and ran inside to find out what happened.
Call told the paper he waited outside, and went inside where he saw 'a female' on the ground with blood coming out of her head, and someone giving her chest compressions.
A man with a 'disfigured' face lay dead nearby, he said.
Star: Grimmie is best known for finishing third on the 2014 season of The Voice (left), and had built up a following on YouTube
Christina Grimmie, seen here with Carson Daly, came in third on the sixth season of The Voice in 2014
One person claimed in an Instagram and Facebook post that Grimmie was hit three times, but this could not be confirmed.
As many as five gunshots were fired, reported. It is not clear yet if he knew Grimmie or if he had stalked her before or what his motive behind the shooting was.
'We were waiting out there to go see (Grimmie) come out at the back of the venue, and then we just saw security running,' Juana Villegas told The Orlando Sentinel.
'Then a girl comes out hysterically crying and she said that someone shot themselves next to her,' she said.
Fans initially sent messages of support and good wishes on social media using the hashtag #prayforchristina but that changed to #RIPChristina when it became clear she had died.
Grimmie is known for covers of pop songs including Nelly's 'I Have a Dream'.
Her YouTube videos - under the name zeldaxlove64 - have as many as 17million views.
During her 'blind' audition for The Voice, she sang Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball and received amazing reviews.
Christina Grimmie, seen here appearing on a radio show last year, signed a contract with Island Records after appearing on The Voice but her only album, With Love, came out in 2013
Christina Grimmie performs onstage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in September
She chose Maroon 5's Adam Levine ad her mentor for the show and went on to place in third in the singing competition for season six.
While on the show she received public support from megastar Justin Bieber.
She was signed to Island Records but was later dropped by the label.
Gun control is due to become a major issue in the presidential election in November with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton promising to tighten the laws and impose more background checks on people buying guns.
Florida has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the country.
Anyone over the age of 18 can buy a shotgun or a rifle without the need for a permit and anyone over 21 can buy a handgun - after a three-day waiting period - as long as they are not a convicted felon, a drug addict or have been 'adjudicated mentally defective or involuntarily committed by a judge'.
When it became clear Grimmie had died there was an outpouring of emotion on Twitter
News of the shooting and Grimmie's death broke very late Friday but Twitter was still inundated with tweets
Many of Grimmie's fans were children and teenagers
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