"The Voice" star, Christina Grimmie was fatally shot at her concert with Before You Exit in Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 10. This tragedy is something that has me, as well as many others, truly questioning where the good in the world has gone.
Concerts are supposed to be a happy, carefree environment. A place where you go to hear songs that mean the most to you be performed live. The one place that I have ever felt truly safe in my life has been at a concert. A crowded, compact room with a bunch of strangers all singing along to songs for a different reason, is the equivalent to one big group hug. The fact that fans at this show lost their sense of safety and comfort after witnessing this horrible act is sickening. Nobody should have to feel such hatred and fear in a place that is meant for love and fun. No fan or artist should ever have to endure the violence that happened at the Before You Exit show on Friday night.
The only question we can ask now is why. Why did someone feel as if Christina Grimmie's life should be over? Why do these tragedies continue to happen at such "safe" places? The fact that I attend shows of this level at venues run similarly to The Plaza Live, makes me question just how safe I am when attending a show for my favorite artist. Where was venue security? Do I now need to constantly be worried for my safety at every concert I go to? I can’t even bring my own water bottle into a venue, how was it so easy to sneak a gun in? Shouldn’t this show how gun laws need to be less lenient? My mind has been racing with unanswered questions ever since I heard the news late Friday night.
I can only hope that time heals those involved, especially Christina's family, friends, and fans. To the guys in Before You Exit, as well as the fans who witnessed this tragedy, I am so sorry that you now have to live with this memory and I hope you feel safe again soon. As someone who has attended a Before You Exit show, I can tell you that there is usually nothing but positive vibes radiating through the room and I am deeply saddened to know that in an instant, that energy was all taken away. Christina Grimmie was taken from this world at the young age of 22. She got up on stage that night with the idea of having fun and doing what she loved, only to have her dream ended shortly after it had started. Let this serve as a reminder that life is entirely too short to be taken for granted. Your life can change in an instant and it is important to focus on the ones you love and what you love while you still have time.
Rest in Peace, Christina Grimmie. Your memory will forever live in the hearts of those who knew you personally or through your lyrics.
