Photo Courtesy of Instagram/ Cameron Burrell
The death of Cameron Burrell, a champion NCAA sprinter, has been officially ruled a suicide, according to the medical examiner’s report obtained by TMZ.
The young track star, cousin to the iconic sprinter Carl Lewis, was found dead in a Houston, Texas parking garage from a gunshot wound to the head.
As News Onyx previously reported, Burrell tragically passed away on August 9.
Burrell’s family and his alma mater, the University of Houston, confirmed and shared their grief in the devastating news.
“We are going through profound sorrow and ask that all of our friends, extended University of Houston family, and the track and field community in the U.S. and abroad allow us to gather with our closest family and friends,” Burrell’s father, Leroy, said on Tuesday.
“We are profoundly grief-stricken and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support. We will forward more information when it is available.”
“We may never know why Cameron made such a decision. We encourage anyone who may be struggling in their lives to reach out for help. You are not alone, and you are surrounded by more people who love and care for you than you may think in a dark moment,” he added.
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Burrell was known to be one of the best sprinters globally, winning the 100-meter championship in 2018 at the University of Houston.
Cameron also was a vital part of Houston’s 4×100-meter relay team and was a three-time NCAA All-American in several events.
He was a team member of the U.S. relay team at the 2018 Athletics World Cup and was a key factor in the team bringing home the gold.
In June 2017, Burrell set a record for running 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, becoming the 121st person to do so.