Will there ever be a time when simply hearing Christina Grimmie’s name doesn’t bring a tear to your eye and an ache to your heart. Honestly, probably not. Christina was just 22 years old, all set to be a huge pop star, when she was murdered after a concert in Orlando . A man named Kevin Loibl — who, by several accounts, was very unhealthily obsessed with Christina — approached her while she was signing autographs and shot her. Her brother Marcus was able to wrestle Loibl to the ground, but the shooter quickly turned his gun on himself. To call it a nightmare would be a huge understatement, obviously, but the nightmare continues on to this day: the Grimmie family is in the middle of a legal battle against the entertainment company that owns the venue where Christina died. The issue, the Grimmies believe, was that the venue didn’t have appropriate security in place to protect the performers, or anyone, really. And that’s a fair point, considering Loibl was able to waltz in with two handguns. It must be terrible for her family to have to deal with a legal battle along with their unimaginable grief, but one thing is for sure: Christina’s fans are, to this day, a source of comfort for them. And they said as much in a touching message shared to Christina’s Twitter account. See, Christina won a Teen Choice Award last July — she was named Choice Web Star in the Music category. Her fans took issue with the show at the time, since Christina’s award wasn’t announced during the broadcast of the awards show. In fact, her name wasn’t mentioned even once . It seemed like a pretty big oversight, considering that the Teen Choice Awards aired just a month after her murder. When you consider that they also included an entire tribute dedicated to victims of gun violence and their surviving family members, still with no mention of Christina … yeah, her fans were upset. But it seems like after all these months, the Teen Choice Awards pulled it together long enough to get Christina’s award to her family. About time, right? Her parents shared the picture of the award: Along with the photo, they thanked “#TeanGrimmie” for helping them finally get the award. “Your commitment to Christina’s legacy and making your voice heard online is a blessing to us,” they wrote. “We also acknowledge those who supported behind the scenes to make this a reality.” “Thank you with love!” And Christina’s fans were quick to share their ongoing support. “She deserved this more than anyone else,” one person commented, and another said “We won’t let her be forgotten.” View Slideshow: Christina Grimmie Shooting Death: Stars Pay Tribute to The Voice Alum One fan wrote “I’m so happy. Christina deserved that award and I’m sure she is smiling in heaven. God bless all.” We’re not crying. You’re crying.
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Christina Grimmie: Family Thanks Fans for Support in Heartbreaking Statement
