Chicago police arrest 2 suspects in attack on 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett
Fri. February 15, 2019 4:23 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
jussie smollett performs in chicago
photo credit // steven koch / gopride.com
UPDATE: Persons of Interest in alleged attack released without charges
Chicago, IL -
Two men have been arrested in connection to the alleged hate-crime attack against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, the Chicago Police Department said Friday.
The men were identified by CBS 2 Chicago as Nigerian brothers Obabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo. Their Chicago apartment was searched by police earlier this week.
One of the brothers has reportedly appeared on "Empire" as an extra.
Police have not confirmed what the brothers were accused of or what the alleged crime might have been.
ABC 7 Chicago reported on Thursday that Smollett worked with the two men in staging the attack, however, police called the report "unconfirmed."
"Media reports anout [sic] the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives," the department's spokesperson tweeted. "Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate."
Smollett, an openly gay African-American who plays a gay character on the Fox hit drama told police that two men shouted racist and homophobic slurs and put a rope around his neck on Jan. 29 in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood.
Update: (10 p.m. 9/15/2019) Two people being questioned in the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett have been released.
"Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete," Chicago police spokesman Tom Ahern told NBC Chicago.
The men were identified by CBS 2 Chicago as Nigerian brothers Obabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo. Their Chicago apartment was searched by police earlier this week.
One of the brothers has reportedly appeared on "Empire" as an extra.
Police have not confirmed what the brothers were accused of or what the alleged crime might have been.
ABC 7 Chicago reported on Thursday that Smollett worked with the two men in staging the attack, however, police called the report "unconfirmed."
"Media reports anout [sic] the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives," the department's spokesperson tweeted. "Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate."
Smollett, an openly gay African-American who plays a gay character on the Fox hit drama told police that two men shouted racist and homophobic slurs and put a rope around his neck on Jan. 29 in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood.
Update: (10 p.m. 9/15/2019) Two people being questioned in the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett have been released.
"Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete," Chicago police spokesman Tom Ahern told NBC Chicago.