UPDATED 8:59p.m. ET: Police have released two images of persons of interest in the Jussie Smollet attack.
BREAKING: Chicago Police release two photos of potential persons of interest in the Jussie Smollett investigation and issue a community alert. pic.twitter.com/lmFJpWQvI0
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) January 31, 2019
NEW: Here is the Chicago Police community alert in the Jussie Smollett investigation. pic.twitter.com/yogud1TYEc
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) January 31, 2019
See original story below.
Investigators may be one step closing to solving the Jussie Smollett assault case.
A Chicago Police official took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce they have spotted potential persons of interest in Tuesday's attack. Authorities say the individuals were captured on surveillance footage and are now wanted for questioning. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the department will release photos of the unidentified persons shortly.
![jussie](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 203 115"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Authorities say Smollett was attacked by two masked people who were screaming "racial and homophobic slurs." The suspects allegedly hit the Empire star in the face, tied a noose around his neck, and "poured an unknown chemical substance" on him. Smollett told law enforcement that the attackers yelled "MAGA country"—a right-wing phrase made popular by Donald Trump—as they fled the scene. The actor's manager Brandon Z. Moore said he was on the phone with his client at the time of the attack. He confirmed that the suspects were using racial slurs.
"I heard that clearly. I heard the scuffle, and I heard the racial slur," Moore told Variety.
The case is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Stay tuned as more information about the case becomes available.