Chris Burrous, a staple of the local airwaves in California over the last two decades, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday in Southern California.
Burrous was 43.
His employer, Los Angeles television station KTLA-TV (Channel 5), broke the news of his death in an online news article Thursday evening.
In a statement, KTLA General Manager Don Corsini expressed his condolences to Burrous’ family.
“Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers,” Corsini wrote. “He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many. He brought a kindness to his work and will be deeply missed by the entire KTLA family.”
The Glendale Police Department said they were investigating his death as a possible overdose.
Emergency officials were dispatched to a Days Inn motel Thursday afternoon after a male called 9-1-1 to report an unconscious person. The caller said the person, later identified as Burrous, was not breathing.
Firefighters attempted resuscitation efforts on Burrous while transporting him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Burrous appeared in several California television markets throughout his broadcast career, including stops in Bakersfield, Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area. He was a general assignment reporter and weekend news anchor at KMAX-TV (Channel 31), where he regularly appeared on the morning news program “Good Day Sacramento.” He launched an early morning interactive newscast for KMAX sister-station KOVR-TV called “CBS13.com” that was one of the first local newscasts to rely on audience participation through the Internet.
He could also be heard from time to time on Sacramento radio station KFBK (1530 AM / 93.1 FM), filling in as a substitute host on the Bruce Maiman program.
Burrous joined Tribune Broadcasting’s New York station WPIX-TV (Channel 11) in 2010. He transferred to KTLA one year later in order to be near his parents, the station reported on Thursday.
Burrous is survived by his wife, Mai Do-Burrous, and their 9-year-old daughter Isabella.
Disclosure: The author of this post was a personal friend of Burrous.
