Update 02/15/2019 10:39pm:
The two persons of interest in the Jussie Smollett attack case were released without charges on Friday (February 15) night.
Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi released a statement, which reads, "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 report that Smollett is still being treated as a victim as the investigation is ongoing.
Source: ABC 13
Original 02/16/2019 2:30pm:
Once the authorities identified the two men in the surveillance footage near the alleged attack on Jussie Smollett, it was revealed that they were actually Nigerian men who were extras on "Empire," as opposed to white men as they were originally thought to be. Now, as authorities seek to make sense as to why Smollett wasn't clear about the basic descriptions of the assailants, it's been reported that the two men have been arrested after their home was raided and potential evidence was collected at the scene.
TMZ has reported that the two men are brothers, named Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, and they've officially been booked on battery charges for their roles in the alleged attack on Smollett. The brothers go by their nicknames, Ola and Abel, and it's been confirmed that Ola played a prison inmate on Season 2 of "Empire," while Jussie apparently follows Abel on Instagram.
The brothers describe themselves online as actors, models, and bodybuilders, while Chicago law enforcement suggests that Smollett might now be asked to identify them in a lineup, as the investigation looks to take the next step in the case.
Meanwhile, a lawyer representing Ola and Abel said that the two brothers are "baffled" as to why they're being considered suspects, while noting that they're familiar with Smollett by way of sharing the same gym.
Source: TMZ
