Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon (6/25) at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood after suffering cardiac arrest at his Bel Air home, according to the Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

LAFD Capt. Steve Ruda told the Times that paramedics were called to Jackson's Bel Air home shortly after noon and performed CPR on the artist before transporting him to the hospital.

The first news reports to emerge on the pop superstar's condition stated that he had lapsed into a deep coma.

The LA Times and CBS News first reported around 3:15pm that Jackson had died.

Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney, later told CNN that family members were arriving or en route to the hospital. No official statement confirming Jackson's death had been issued at press time.

A large crowd began gathering outside the hospital through the afternoon, and news helicopters could be seen circling the Westwood Village area south of the UCLA campus as television coverage of the situation ramped up.

Jackson has recently been rehearsing for a 50-date run of shows at London's O2 arena.

Johnny Caswell, of CenterStaging in Burbank, told the LA Times, that despite Jackson appearing "frail" during his recent rehearsals there, "He was working hard. Putting four days a week in here. Six hours a day." The Times reported that Jackson's rehearsals moved to the Forum, a full-size arena in Inglewood, in early June.

In mid-May, promoter AEG announced that several of the initial dates of that run would be postponed to allow more time for rehearsals.

The adjusted run of dates was to begin on July 13th.