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Coroner: Illinois student dies of heart disease

Posted August 22, 2014 1:01 am

Associated Press

O'FALLON, Ill. (AP) - The St. Clair County coroner says southwest Illinois junior high school student who died after suffering a medical emergency during a basketball practice had heart disease.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports coroner Rick Stone identified the 13-year-old boy as Demetrius Simpson on Thursday. Stone said an autopsy conducted Thursday revealed the eighth grader died of hereditary heart disease.

District 90 Superintendent Douglas Wood says Simpson went to the bathroom during training Wednesday at Fulton Jr. High School for his basketball club and didn't come back. He says Simpson was found there later in distress and was taken to a hospital.

A funeral service for Simpson will be held at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Marie Schaefer Elementary School. Wolfersberger Funeral Home in O'Fallon is handling the arrangements.

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