Suspect identified in Dallas salon taking pictures as FBI opens hate crime investigation

The incident may be linked to shootings at Asian-run companies, police mentioned.

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the May 11 shooting of three women in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a series of current shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police said.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in response to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to an area hospital, in line with police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia recognized the suspect as 36-year-old Jeremy Smith during a press convention on Tuesday. Garcia said that Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

"During our investigation, detectives realized that two years ago Smith had a motorized vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he is round anyone of Asian descent."

The Dallas Police Division and the FBI are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

"The Dallas FBI Subject Workplace, the U.S. Attorney’s Workplace for the Northern District in Texas and the Civil Rights Division of the Division of Justice have opened a federal hate crime investigation into the incident at Hair World Salon in Dallas,” a spokesperson for the FBI subject office in Dallas instructed ABC News on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to comment further at this time."

Police met with neighborhood members at a city hall in Koreatown on Monday amid issues for the public's safety.

Two of the shooting victims – the proprietor and an worker – have been current at the assembly, in keeping with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face coated. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to research two different shootings that may be linked to the salon capturing.

"Presently, there have been no arrests on these circumstances," Garcia mentioned, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that legislation enforcement “concluded three latest shootings of Asian run companies could also be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an analogous vehicle.

This photograph reveals the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a man who opened fireplace contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three individuals.

Police mentioned they discovered from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish colour minivan-type car" on Royal Lane and then walked throughout the parking lot and into the establishment, allegedly opening fire as soon as he entered the salon.

Police also launched a security image of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the taking pictures at the salon may be linked to 1 that occurred a day before and one which occurred last month.

Police discovered from witness studies that on April 2, a driver in a red minivan drove past a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired pictures at three businesses. Nobody was injured.

And on May 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or car drove by and shot into Asian-run companies near 4849 Sunnyvale Street, police mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of caution, now we have reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the potential connection and ask for their assistance,” Garcia said. “This consists of the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Task Pressure. We are also working with North Texas police companions to determine if this legal action has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A man opened fireplace inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

Garcia said police shall be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas in the city the place there are massive Asian American populations.

“We're turning to every resident of the town of Dallas to keep an eye out and safeguard our metropolis,” Garcia mentioned. “Hate has no place right here.”

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of attacks targeting Asian Americans throughout the nation, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC Information' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.