By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago
Donnell Hudson was a “great kid who grew up in a rough environment,” according to his high school basketball coach, who called him a “feisty kid” full of “energy and toughness.”
But on Saturday night, the 17-year-old was shot to death while walking near his home in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side.
The boy was walking in the 10500 block of South Lafayette Avenue at 8:36 p.m. when a male suspect walked up to him and started shooting, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The shooter then ran off.
Hudson was shot in the back and chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:55 p.m., authorities said. He lived just two about two blocks from here he was shot.
Hudson played one year for Coach Marvin Jordan’s Panthers at Chicago Military Academy-Bronzeville, and he definitely left an impression on his coach and team.
“I had the privilege of coaching Donnell for one year,” Jordan said. “Donnell worked very hard on the court. He was the heart of his team. They fed off of his energy and toughness. He often got my varsity team heated during practices because he was so feisty.”
And unlike many students the coach has seen, Hudson took criticism well, and was always looking to better his game, both on the coout and in class, Jordan said.
“He was the kind of kid you can coach and yell at, knowing that would only bring out the best in him. Teachers would come to me and say, ‘Hey, Hudson misbehaved in my class today.’ and I would go to him and he would say, ‘Yes coach, I did but tomorrow I’ll do better’.”
“He never made excuses and always stood up for what he did. I still have messages between us, me asking him about class and him saying he will do better.”
No one was in custody for the shooting as of Monday afternoon.
Jordan said the team was planning to do something special for their lost leader.
“I’m looking to get the team together one day this week to all sign a ball for him and present it to his mother, and maybe take a team picture with his jersey and the ball.
“He didn’t deserve this.”
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire