Christina Grimmie’s Mom Breaks Down As She Recalls The Final Time She Saw Her Daughter Before The Shooting

Christina Grimmie’s memorial service has been nothing short of emotional.

On Friday, Grimmie’s family, friends, and fans gathered at the Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Melford to pay their respects and say goodbye to the singer, who was shot to death by a deranged fan Friday last week.

Christina Grimmie’s 90-minute service was scheduled to start at 8 p.m., but people started to gather outside the church hours before the designated time to pay their respects. A big photo of Christina Grimmie hung on a wall as thousands of flowers were offered at the altar to honor the life of the former YouTube and The Voice sensation.

Christina’s mother, Tina Grimmie, was one of her family members who spoke at the memorial to remember the Voice alum. Overcome with emotion, Tina was barely able to speak as she remembered the final time she saw her Christina.

“I don’t have too much to say. I could tell you about the memories of when she was a baby and she lah-la-lahed and when she was getting a bath I’d tell her to sing for Jesus,” Mrs Grimmie said while trying to stifle her sobs.

“The last time I saw my daughter was on my birthday, May 25, the day before we had mother-daughter time and we’d talk and on my birthday, me, Bud [Christina’s father], Christina and Marc, we went to The Cheesecake Factory and I always told her I loved her and to put God first.”

Christina’s father, Bud, comforted his wife with a hug, then addressed the crowd to say how his daughter’s death has left a gigantic hole in his heart, according to E! News.

“This crowd has blessed me beyond words. There is this gigantic hole in my heart that I know is never going to go away but God showed me he is way bigger than that hole. I believe that. There are three things that keep me upright rather than being a crumpled mess in the corner. I know I am going to see her again,” Grimmie said.

“She’s way better off now, she’s more alive now than she’s ever been, she is not going to be hurting… This is where I am wrestling, God’s plan is better than my plan. I’ve argued with god, ‘Your plans are better than mine?’ This doesn’t make sense,” Mr. Grimmie added.

Christina Grimmie’s brother, Marcus, who reportedly tackled his sister’s killer to the ground immediately after he shot her to death (the gunman in turn fatally shot himself), recounted the night of his sister’s murder. He also recalled how Christina opened her arms to the killer as a sign of welcome before he shot her.

“All the rumors are true, when the gunman came, he was very quick, it happened so fast, her arms were open and she saw Jesus next,” recalled Marcus. “Her arms were open for him, her arms were open at all times,” he said. “I love you Christina, you are the best.”

Emotional memorial for Christina Grimmie in NJ https://t.co/bWzMjL4TVd pic.twitter.com/vsGNucOGak

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) June 18, 2016

The memorial’s attendees amounted to thousands, according to the Guardian. Among those who attended the service include husband and wife Alissa and Joseph Canto, who drove seven hours to attend the service. Alissa and Joseph, both 24, said they’ve been huge fans of Christina Grimmie since she launched her YouTube channel back when the singer was a high-schooler.

“We have been fans [of Christina Grimmie] for years but we didn’t know how much we appreciated her until she passed,” Alissa said.

Garret Lang told the Courier Post how Christina Grimmie often made her fans feel special, which endeared them to her even more.

“What I liked about her most was she didn’t just treat her fans like fans, she treated them more special than fans,” Lang said. “She treated them like friends or like family members, even without knowing them.”

Adam Levine, who called Christina Grimmie’s mother to offer his condolences shortly after learning about the singer’s death, offered to pay for the entire service.

[Photo by Chris LaChall/Camden Courier-Post via AP, Pool]