Filed at 7:39 p.m. ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The mother and brother of Academy Award-winning actress
Jennifer
Hudson were found shot to death in the mother's Chicago home on Friday,
media reported.
Police said they were searching for a suspect in the double homicide and also
a seven-year-old boy, possibly Hudson's nephew, who was missing from the house
on Chicago's South Side where the victims were found.
The Chicago Tribune said one of the victims was Hudson's mother, Darnell
Donnerson. The entertainment website TMZ,
citing a neighbor, said Hudson's brother Jason also was found dead.
Police said neighbors reported hearing shots in the area during the morning
but the bodies were not found until mid-afternoon.
"A missing child was possibly abducted from the scene ... and may be in the
company of William Balfour, a suspect in the double homicide investigation,"
police said in a statement, adding that the man was "considered armed and
dangerous."
The statement listed two vehicles Balfour may be driving. It did not say who
Balfour was or whether he was related to the family.
Police said the child was identified as Julian King, adding they believed he
was the grandson of the woman found slain.
The Tribune, quoting police, said the killings may be linked to a domestic
disturbance.
Hudson gained notice as a contestant on No. 1-rated U.S. television talent
show "American Idol" during its third season in 2005. She was one of 12
finalists but was voted off.
Still, her booming voice and popularity kept her touring in live shows and
eventually she earned the role as Effie White in the 2006 film version of stage
musical "Dreamgirls."
The role of soulful singer White, who is kicked out of an all-girl 1960s
singing group, earned Hudson the Oscar for best supporting actress and made her
an instant star in Hollywood.
Since then Hudson has appeared in the movie version of "Sex and the City,"
and is currently in "The Secret Life of Bees."
Media reports said Hudson was in Florida when she was told of the shootings
and was headed back to Chicago.