Heart condition leads to Federal Way student-athlete's death

SEATTLE -- An often undiagnosed heart condition led to the death of a student-athlete from Federal Way, the King County Medical Examiner's Office said.

The Federal Way School District said 16-year-old Allen Harris died suddenly while participating in a summer conditioning workout at the school Tuesday.

Emergency crews tried to revive him with CPR and he was taken to a local hospital, but later died.

The medical examiner's office has determined that Harris died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick making it hard for the heart to pump blood.

Most people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have no symptoms and experience no significant problems, but for some, it can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, or abnormal heart rhythms.

The school system is now suspending outdoor activities in the middle and high schools while they review their protocols and safety procedures.