Cameron Burrell's Death Officially Ruled a Suicide; Godson of Carl Lewis
August 13, 2021
Former NCAA track and field star Cameron Burrell's death has officially been ruled a suicide, per the medical examiner's report that was obtained by Greg Bailey of ABC 13 in Houston.
The University of Houston, Burrell's alma mater, announced Tuesday his death at the age of 26:
University of Houston @UHoustonWe are devastated by the unexpected passing of alumnus Cameron Burrell. We offer our sincerest condolences and support to the Burrell family and all who knew him, including Cameron’s many friends, coaches and teammates. <a href="https://t.co/Wnjb12knIh">pic.twitter.com/Wnjb12knIh</a>
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is Burrell's godfather.
The 26-year-old is the son of 1992 Olympic gold-medal winners LeRoy Burrell, the head track and field coach at Houston, and Michelle Finn-Burrell.
On Tuesday, LeRoy Burrell issued a statement through the school about his son's death:
"My family is extremely saddened with the loss of our son, Cameron. 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. We are profoundly grief-stricken and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support."
Burrell won three NCAA championships in four years at the University of Houston. He won an individual title in the men's 100 meters in 2018. The Texas native also won back-to-back titles as the anchor for the Cougars men's 4x100 team in 2017 and 2018.
In addition to his success in college, Burrell also represented the United States at international events from 2011-19. He won gold in the 4x100 meters as the anchor for Team USA at the 2018 Athletics World Cup. He also finished fifth in the 100 meters at the 2018 U.S.A. Track and Field Championships.
