The concert was designed as a space for people experiencing grief to come together and allow the music to help them through the grieving process.
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — Authorities in White Bear Lake said on Monday there is no evidence that a deadly house fire that killed NHL writer Jessi Pierce and her three children was intentionally set. Officials emphasized the investigation remains in its early phases, and the cause of the fire is still under review. An online fundraiser to support Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, has now raised more than $150,000.
On Monday evening, a previously scheduled concert at White Bear Lake United Methodist Church drew a large crowd. The concert was designed as a space for people experiencing grief to come together and allow the music to help them through the grieving process.
While not organized specifically in response to recent events, the gathering came as the community continues to mourn multiple losses, including Pierce and her children, as well as First Class Sergeant Nicole Amor, who was recently killed overseas.
Inside the church, music filled the sanctuary. Musician and singer Jennifer Grimm said the goal was to offer comfort through shared experience.
“I’m hoping that the people who come here, they hear the music, they feel like they’re part of a community, even though they’re going through their own individual grief,” Grimm said.
“It’s a time, certainly, in this community right now because we’ve had some tragedies, but I think overall, in America, it’s just sort of a turbulent time,” she said. “No matter who’s here, no matter where they’re from, no matter what they’re going through, I’m hoping that the music will touch everyone.”
Grimm said this was the first concert of its kind she has organized, with plans to hold similar events in the future.