Let's say a prayer for jennifer Hudson and her family.
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Two dead, child missing after shooting at Jennifer Hudson’s home
Chris Ayres in Los Angeles

The mother and brother of Jennifer Hudson, one of America’s most celebrated singers, were reportedly shot dead last night in their home in Chicago’s South Side — about five miles from the home of the presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Hudson, 27, is seen by millions as the embodiment of the American dream because she was rejected from the US television show American Idol —an offshoot of the British Pop Idol singing competition — but later went on to win an Oscar for her role in the hit 2006 musical Dreamgirls.

A supporter of Mr Obama, Hudson sang the national anthem at the Democratic Party’s convention in Denver in August on the night when Mr Obama accepted the presidential nomination.

Although the double murder case was still developing last night, police said that it was a domestic incident and that they were searching for a suspect along with a seven-year-old boy, who is possibly the nephew of Hudson. He was named as Julian King.

“A missing child was possibly abducted from the scene and may be in the company of William Balfour, a suspect in [this] double homicide investigation,” the Chicago police said in a statement, adding that the suspect was “armed and dangerous”.

The boy was reported missing from the house where the victims were found. Local media reports named the victims as Darnell Donnerson, 57, and her son Jason Hudson, 29.

The shooting is likely to renew focus on the murder rate in Chicago, which has fallen since the 1960s but remains twice as high as that of other cities such as New York.

During Hudson’s appearances on American Idol, which took her to seventh place in the popular competition, the acerbic British judge Simon Cowell told Hudson that she was “out of her league” and that her outfit made her look “like something you should wrap a turkey in”. His criticism later gave way to praise, but not in time to save her from being voted off the show.

It was widely believed that Hudson — the daughter of a bus driver who began her singing career at the age of 7 in the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church choir — was ejected largely because of a power cut on the South Side, which prevented her core fan base from telephoning in their votes.

When Ms Hudson won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls, Mr Cowell publicly apologised to her for his earlier harsh criticism.

In spite of Ms Hudson’s eventual success — she reportedly turned down a $3 million role in a Warner Bros movie because of a nude scene — her family refused to move out of their home on the South Side, which has one of the largest black populations anywhere in the US.

Mr Obama lives in the most upscale part of the neighbourhood, in an enclave called Hyde Park. The Hudsons live in the grittier Englewood district, a few blocks west of the Interstate-94.

The bodies of the murder victims were found on South Yale Avenue. Last night a police cordon was blocking access to the large, white residence, and a crowd had gathered.

Since her role in Dreamgirls Hudson has appeared in the movie version of Sex and the City, and is currently starring in The Secret Life of Bees. Her latest song Spotlight tops Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Her recently released, self-titled debut album has been a top seller.

In an interview last year with Vogue magazine she said that her mother was responsible for making her audition for American Idol. In another interview she described her close relationship with her family, adding: “My faith in God and my family, they’re very realistic and very normal, they’re not into the whole limelight kind of thing.”

It is thought that Ms Hudson was in Los Angeles when she heard the news of the shooting. Last night she was reported to be returning to Chicago.

why do they keep mentioning obama?

this is just sad

Stymie said:

i guess the chicago connection? it IS a little odd.

Anxiety said:

especially the part mentioning obama lives FIVE miles away. like it's around the corner or something.

Stymie said:

Completely inappropriate for them to do that