Police release photos in actor Jussie Smollett attack

CHICAGO — Chicago police are asking for the public's help after "Empire" star Jussie Smollett reported he was attacked in the predawn hours Tuesday by two men who were shouting racial and homophobic slurs at him, according to authorities.

Smollett was hospitalized Tuesday after the attack, which police are investigating as a possible hate crime.

Update: 11 p.m. EST Jan. 30: Detectives have reviewed surveillance footage of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett walking to his downtown Chicago apartment, but so far none of the video shows him being attacked by two masked men, although investigators have obtained images of people they would like to question, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweetedphotos of the "persons of interest" Wednesday evening.

Investigators “for the most part” can confirm the route Smollett took early Tuesday when he says he was attacked along a street in the Streeterville neighborhood after visiting a sandwich shop, Guglielmi said. However, there are gaps, and none of the footage shows an attack, he said, although the review is ongoing.

Update: 6:40 p.m. EST Jan. 30: Police are expected to release surveillance video of two "persons of interest" in the  attack early Tuesday morning on actor Jussie Smollett, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Until now, detectives had said they were not able to release a description of Smollett’s attackers because they couldn’t find enough evidence after reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance video from the surrounding area.

Now they say two individuals are wanted for questioning in the crime.

Update 11:30 a.m. EST Jan. 30: Police continued Wednesday to search for video that might show Smollett's assailants.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Tuesday night that authorities were combing through video footage, but that, "Thus far, no video of the alleged assailants or a vehicle has been discovered."

The only relevant image police have found thus far was footage taken from a security camera in a Subway restaurant near the scene of the reported attack, according to CNN. In the image, Smollett appears to be standing alone, the news network reported.

Smollett told officers his assailants struck around 2 a.m. Tuesday as he was walking downtown near the Chicago River. He said two men yelled that he was in "MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make American Great Again," and that they hit him in the face, poured an "unknown substance" on him and wrapped a rope around his neck, The Associated Press reported.

Guglielmi told the AP that Smollett still had a rope around his neck when officers first made contact with him after the attack.

Update 6:05 p.m. EST Jan. 29: So far, investigators "have not found anything to be able (to) put out a description" of the two suspects who Smollett said attacked him while he was walking down a city street early Tuesday morning, according to Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Guglielmi said they have not found any evidence to help identify the perpetrators.

In a follow-up police interview Tuesday, Smollett told detectives that the attackers yelled "MAGA country," according to WLS-TV, referring to President Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again."

Smollett did not mention that in his initial police interview, authorities said.

Police also have a rope that was wrapped around Smollett’s neck during the attack, which they said will undergo testing.

Original story:

In a statement released Tuesday, police declined to identify any of the people involved in the incident beyond saying it "involved a cast member of the television show 'Empire.'" Smollett, 36, and a representative of 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment confirmed later to CNN that the incident had taken place.

"We are deeply saddened and outraged to learn that a member of our 'Empire' family, Jussie Smollett, was viciously attacked last night," a 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment representative told the news network. "We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate -- and especially against one of our own."

CNN reported Smollett was "in good condition" after the attack, though he was also "shaken and angry that an attack like this could happen."

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi described the incident as a "possible racially-charged assault." Smollett came out as gay in 2015 during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," according to The Huffington Post. His sexuality might have played a role in the attack, according to entertainment news site TMZ.

Police told WBBM-TV that Smollett was walking on E. Lower Water Street when he was approached by two people who were yelling racial and homophobic slurs.

"The offenders then attacked the victim with their hands and poured an unknown chemical substance on the him," WBBM-TV reported. "A rope was also wrapped around the victim's neck."

The offenders ran from the scene and Smollett took himself to Northwestern Hospital, where he was treated and released later Tuesday, according to the news station and TMZ.

"Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime," Guglielmi said. "Detectives are currently working to gather video, identify potential witnesses and establish an investigative timeline."

>> On AJC.com: Jussie Smollett chats debut album and 'Empire' during Atlanta visit

Officials continue to investigate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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