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Harvard-Westlake Student Honored After Sudden Death

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Hundreds of students on Monday were mourning the loss of a standout athlete at Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City after his death during a workout last week.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports Justin Carr was remembered by his peers as a gifted and talented student.

Heart Condition Linked To Sudden Death Of Harvard-Westlake Student

Parents and staff were among the approximately 850 students who paid tribute to Carr following his death on Friday, which school officials said was due to a preexisting condition known as cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle that can result in sudden cardiac arrest.

Carr lost consciousness on Friday and collapsed in the school's pool. Bystanders attempted to resuscitate him poolside, but Carr eventually died at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

School president Tom Hudnut said there will be some private and public time for students following Monday's ceremony.

"We're going to leave time for students to mill around and befriend one another and talk about their memories of Justin," said Hudnut.

Officials described Carr - who was also a leader of the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club and was proud to have introduced actor Samuel L. Jackson at the Black History Assembly earlier this month - as a "scholar, athlete, singer, actor, ebullient child" and "an extraordinary young man by any measure."

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