Police say two men dressed in black are potential persons of interest because they were caught on camera in Chicago, appearing to follow “Empire” star Jussie Smollett after he left a Subway store at 2 a.m., shortly before he was attacked.
FBI experts will try to enhance the images to bring out more detail.
Police say two people yelled racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance believed to be bleach on him and wrapped a rope around his neck.
Another security camera shows Smollett returning home with the rope still around his neck.
Smollett's manager told police he was on the phone with his client and heard the attack go down. He says he heard the racial slurs and the shout, “This is MAGA country,” but both Smollett and his manager reportedly refused to hand over their phones to investigators.
President Trump says the attack on Smollett is "horrible."
He was asked about the attack in the Oval Office Thursday following claims that the assailants shouted "This is MAGA country.”
“That I can tell you is horrible. I've seen it last night. It doesn't get worse, as far as I am concerned,” he said.
Smollett's family issued a statement Thursday afternoon calling the attack an act of "domestic terrorism," adding, "this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed."
RELATED STORIES
‘Empire’ Star Beaten, Doused With Chemical in Possible Hate Crime, Police Say
Melania Trump Gets Apology From British Paper
Newspaper Apologizes After Refusing to Run Obit Blaming Trump for Woman's Death