There's a break in the Jussie Smollett attack case as police announce they are currently questioning two persons of interest. The two people - both Black males - were arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport on Wednesday night, according to CWBChicago.com.
Police are currently questioning an Empire actor and a friend who conspired with Smollett to manufacture a hate crime and blame Trump supporters.
According to TMZ, Chicago police are also questioning Smollett. Police were able to track down Smollett and his friends through "rideshare and/or taxicab records".
CWBChicago also posted a tip they received last week:
"They've identified the two Black friends of his (through facial recognition) who are from Wrigleyville and took Lyft to the scene. Clothesline from Ace Hardware. Mayor wants to release info now, cod wants two friends to confess first after they have tower dump.
The friends "attacked" JS as planned and then went back to Wrigleyville. They are the two on video."
Smollett said in an interview with Robin Roberts that aired on Good Morning America Thursday that he believed the two homeless people seen in the surveillance images were the persons who attacked him. "I don't have any doubt in my mind that that's them. Never did."
Smollett has insisted all along that he was attacked by 2 Trump supporters who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him.
According to CWBChicago.com, Chicago police acquired Smollett's full phone records through a subpoena to his wireless provider, and they have been "slow playing" the case all along.
According to CWBChicago, investigators compared their phone records to the heavily redacted records provided to them by Smollett.
"Source states phone records provided by Smollett were a spreadsheet. He downloaded his phone activity into a spreadsheet and then deleted certain phone calls. "He did the [detectives'] job for them because then they only had to focus on the numbers he deleted."
MORE: Source states phone records provided by Smollett were a spreadsheet. He downloaded his phone activity into a spreadsheet and then deleted certain phone calls. “He did the [detectives’] job for them because then they only had to focus on the numbers he deleted.”
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) February 14, 2019
CWBChicago also spoke with CPD Chief of Patrol Fred Waller who said progress is being made in the case.
On Thursday afternoon, CWBChicago sent a cryptic tweet: "It's only 44 degrees in Chicago, but somebody's "racist sundae" is melting..."
Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that the backgrounds and identities of the two people would not be released or commented on while detectives question the individuals.
Guglielmi has been careful to refer to Smollett as a "victim" publicly, but the consensus within the police department is that Smollett lied about the details of the attack.
Police sources on Twitter.com say Smollett was likely attacked by a man (or men) he hooked up with on a homosexual dating app that night.
...As CWBChicago reported over a week ago, investigators already had Smollett's complete phone records via subpoena of his provider.
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) February 14, 2019
Important for media reporting: The people of interest are alleged to be in the area where a crime was reported. They are not considered suspects at this time as they are currently being questioned by detectives. We remain in communication with the alleged victim. pic.twitter.com/JuH1kYRTYV
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 14, 2019
To safeguard the investigation, details about the case including timelines & backgrounds of those being questioned by police will not be released or commented on while detectives question persons of interest. Media reports of investigative details cannot be confirmed at this time pic.twitter.com/I1ug6u53E9
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 14, 2019
It's only 44 degrees in Chicago, but somebody's "racist sundae" is melting....
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) February 14, 2019
Photo by JFXimages/WENN.com
