After 22-year-old Christian singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed by an obsessed fan, her parents have revealed they are relying on their faith to sustain them as they mourn the loss of their daughter.
On Friday, friends and family gathered at Grimmie's home church, Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, NJ, to commemorate the late singer and reflect on her short life.
US Magazine reports that the memorial opened with a recording of the Grimmie's cover of the song "In Christ Alone," a popular worship melody "The Voice" star once referred to as "one of my favorite songs ever."
Christina's mother, Tina Grimmie, emotionally told attendees she is struggling to accept her daughter's death, and is relying on Christ as she grieves.
"I don't have too much to say," Tina began before breaking down in tears, eyewitness told US magazine. "To anybody who says that I'm strong, I want you to know that I'm the weakest person here, and I declare my dependence on Jesus Christ because I don't have anything else. It's just so much."
Christina's father, Bud Grimmie, also credited his faith for sustaining him as he mourns the loss of his daughter.
"I don't like being in front of crowds, but this crowd has blessed me beyond words," he began. "I want to share what I've shared with several people here and that's that there's this gigantic hole in my heart that I know is never going to go away."
Despite the pain, he said, "God showed me that He's way bigger than that hole."
"The three things that keep me walking upright, otherwise I would just be a crumpled up mess in the corner, are that I know I'm going to see her again ... she's way better off now, she's more alive now than she's ever been, she's not going to be hurt anymore, and thirdly, and this is where I'm wrestling, is that God's plan is better than my plan," he added.
As earlier reported, Christina, 22, died on Saturday after she was shot in an attack by Kevin James Loibl, 27, as she signed autographs after a concert in Orlando, Florida. The suspect fatally shot himself as well, after Grimmie's brother tackled him, according to authorities.
The singer had performed at The Plaza Live theater Friday night, along with the band Before You Exit, when the shooting broke out. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and died a few hours later, reports CNN.
According to reports, Loibl was "obsessed" with the singer and got angry after he discovered she had a boyfriend.
A number of Loibl's colleagues said he was so infatuated with the singer he got hair transplants, Lasik eye surgery and even became a vegan to lose weight, hoping to date her.
Prior to her death, Grimmie described herself as a "full-on Christian who loves Jesus" and identified the Bible as her favorite book. In her public profiles, she stated Jesus was her "Lord and Savior," and that she sung for Him.
On Friday, her family also released a tribute video of the slain singer: "Christina Grimmie was taken from all of us far too soon, but the impact she had on this world in the short 22 years of her life will carry on forever," the video description reads.
The tribute features Grimmie singing Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up," interspersed with her speaking about her aspirations.
"My goal in my career is to inspire people, is to get my music out there, and have people enjoy it and really think of me as an inspirational artist," Grimmie says at one point in the video.
