At a candlelight vigil for Christina Grimmie in Evesham Township, NJ, on Monday night, the late singer's brother Marcus gave a speech that honored both his sister and those lost in the Orlando shooting a day after her death.
"She loved this town, she loved this state, she loved singing, she loved the Lord, and she loved me, and she was my baby sister," Grimmie said, according to E! News. The 22-year-old Voice alumna was shot and killed while giving autographs after a concert in Orlando on Friday night. The assailant killed himself after Marcus tackled him to the ground. Many have called Marcus a hero for his actions.
But on Monday, he turned the focus on others. "About 4 miles away from where we were staying, there was a huge tragedy to Orlando, to the LGBT community and to the whole world," Grimmie said. "I mean, 50 people dead, who knows who is injured. I have no words. All of those people that died and are suffering."
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Grimmie felt fortunate compared to the families of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre. "Adam Levine paid for Christina's funeral. Selena [Gomez] is singing a song and crying," he noted. "These people didn't have that, and we are blessed to. She's in a better place... Thank you to everyone once again," he told the crowd of supporters. "I wish I could elaborate more, you guys didn't know her like I did, so thank you. This is awesome."