Hate Crime: "Empire" actor attacked by masked men shouting 'MAGA country'

[SummerMadness]

Jussie Smollett, Star of 'Empire,' Attacked in What Police Call a Possible Hate Crime

Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of the Fox television show "Empire," was attacked in Chicago early Tuesday morning by two people who yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck, according to the police, who said they were investigating the incident as "a possible hate crime."

Smollett, who is black and publicly came out as gay in 2015, was walking on a downtown street when two people approached him and yelled the slurs, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department. The attackers then began hitting Smollett in the face and poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Jussie Smollett, Star of 'Empire,' Attacked in What Police Call a Possible Hate Crime

Well...Chicago has a lot of surveillance cameras. Hopefully police will figure this one out quickly.

 

[now faith]

Was the attack brought on because he was black or gay?

 

[Radagast]

This makes no sense to me. Do people really say "maga" as a word?

 

[SummerMadness]

This makes no sense to me. Do people really say "maga" as a word?

What's so difficult to understand? That people take an acronym and turn it into a word? The president was touting "MAGAnomics" when he attempted to claim the Obama economy's strength was because of him.

 

[Ana the Ist]

This makes no sense to me. Do people really say "maga" as a word?

It's goofy...but who knows? Perhaps he was attacked by a group of racist caricatures lol.

 

[Nithavela]

This makes no sense to me. Do people really say "maga" as a word?

They actually do.

 

[Hieronymus]

Obama's economy strength???

Anyway, NYT, ambiguous story, the same old narrative that has been proven to be fake in most cases...

 

[SummerMadness]

Obama's economy strength???

Anyway, NYT, ambiguous story, the same old narrative that has been proven to be fake in most cases...

If you have any evidence that the man staged his own attack, then please provide the evidence. Moreover, please provide evidence that "most cases" of hate crimes are fake.

 

[Hieronymus]

If you have any evidence that the man staged his own attack, then please provide the evidence. Moreover, please provide evidence that "most cases" of hate crimes are fake.

You can persuade folks to do stuff in the name of something or someone, in order to criminalize that something or someone.
The stakes are high enough.

 

[Nithavela]

You can persuade folks to do stuff in the name of something or someone, in order to criminalize that something or someone.
The stakes are high enough.

So.. you don't have any evidence, then? You're just pulling it out of somewhere I'm not allowed to mention?

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Was the attack brought on because he was black or gay?

I don't think it matters. I hope they find these people and throw the book at them. There is absolutely no excuse for this behavior.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Obama's economy strength???

Anyway, NYT, ambiguous story, the same old narrative that has been proven to be fake in most cases...

While I agree that there have been slanderous false reports of attacks. There doesn't seem to be any evidence or motive to suggest that this is the case. At least, that I know of.

 

[Hieronymus]

While I agree that there have been slanderous false reports of attacks. There doesn't seem to be any evidence or motive to suggest that this is the case. At least, that I know of.

True, but i wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be another nothing burger.
So i guess i'm biassed.

 

[JCFantasy23]

Very sad and disturbing. Hopefully this is the last incident that happens to him like this. Chicago is a rough area in general, and looks like he's already been having issues before this with threats.

 

[SummerMadness]

True, but i wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be another nothing burger.
So i guess i'm biassed.

Sounds a lot like you're still arguing a point without evidence. Do you have evidence that most hate crimes are false reports? Do you have information that false reports for hate crimes occur more than false reports for other crimes?

 

[Hieronymus]

Sounds a lot like you're still arguing a point without evidence. Do you have evidence that most hate crimes are false reports? Do you have information that false reports for hate crimes occur more than false reports for other crimes?

I said i guess i'm biassed.
But not without reason.
Maybe you remember a smiling school boy with a red hat.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Was the attack brought on because he was black or gay?

"two people who yelled racial and homophobic slurs"

Why not both?

Additional detail: there was a threatening letter delivered to him at the Chicago studio a week ago. Not sure if it's connected.

The letter threatening Smollett before the attack was sent to the Fox studio in Chicago on Jan. 22, police said. The letter contained threatening language and was laced with a powdery substance that investigators believe was likely Tylenol.

The FBI is now investigating that prior threat, police said.

 

[Ana the Ist]

They actually do.

And carry around a rope?

 

[Ana the Ist]

"two people who yelled racial and homophobic slurs"

Why not both?

Additional detail: there was a threatening letter delivered to him at the Chicago studio a week ago. Not sure if it's connected.

The letter threatening Smollett before the attack was sent to the Fox studio in Chicago on Jan. 22, police said. The letter contained threatening language and was laced with a powdery substance that investigators believe was likely Tylenol.

The FBI is now investigating that prior threat, police said.

Ahhh...so someone is deliberately targeting him.