REPORTS: Police spot persons of interest in Jussie Smollett attack on surveillance video
Authorities need the public's help to identify multiple people captured on surveillance footage.
It looks like police are finally making progress in tracking down the people responsible for the racist, homophobic attack against Jussie Smollett.
According to TMZ, investigators have captured multiple persons of interest on surveillance video and plan to release photos to the public in an effort to bring them in for questioning.
While they didn’t refer to the individuals as “suspects,” they plan to release the images soon.
CASE UPDATE: Hours ago #ChicagoPolice detectives located a surveillance camera that shows potential persons of interest wanted for questioning in reference to the assault & battery of Empire actor. A community alert w/ photos is being constructed and will be disseminated shortly. pic.twitter.com/hu3HaPN5h1
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) January 30, 2019
The Empire actor and singer was brutally beaten by two men wearing ski masks in Chicago early Tuesday morning. They reportedly doused the openly gay actor with bleach and tied a noose around his neck while shouting “MAGA country.”
According to the reports, Smollett was walking out of Subway when someone yelled “Aren’t you that f***ot Empire n*****?” before attacking him.
According to That Grape Juice, Fox Studios received hate mail earlier this month targeted to the 36-year-old actor. Cut out letters from magazines spelled out “You will die black f**.”
The Chicago Police Department issued a statement on the incident:
“A 36-year-old man was walking at above address when two unknown offenders approached him and gained his attention by yelling out racial and homophobic slurs towards him. The offenders began to batter the victim with their hands about the face and poured an unknown substance on the victim. At some point during the incident, one of the offenders wrapped a rope around the victim’s neck. The offenders fled the scene. The victim self-transported to Northwestern Hospital and is in good condition. Area Central Detectives are investigating.”
