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

The incident may be linked to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police stated.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Could 11 shooting of three ladies in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and might be linked to a collection of latest shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in accordance with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and were transported to a local hospital, in accordance with police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified the suspect as 36-year-old Jeremy Smith throughout a press conference on Tuesday. Garcia mentioned that Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

"Throughout our investigation, detectives discovered that two years ago Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Office, 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 field office in Dallas advised ABC News on Monday. "We are in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to thoroughly investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not capable of comment additional presently."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an employee – have been current at the assembly, according to WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to investigate two different shootings that could be linked to the salon shooting.

"At this time, there have been no arrests on these cases," Garcia mentioned, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced during a Friday press conference that law enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run businesses could also be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical car.

This photograph shows the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are searching for a man who opened fireplace inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police stated they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish color minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane after which walked across the parking lot and into the institution, allegedly opening hearth as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police also released a safety image of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the shooting on the salon may be linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one that befell last month.

Police learned from witness stories that on April 2, a driver in a purple minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run businesses and fired photographs at three businesses. No one was injured.

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we now have reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the doable connection and ask for their assistance,” Garcia stated. “This contains the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Power. We're also working with North Texas police companions to determine if this legal motion has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Might 12, 2022. A person opened hearth contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three people.

Garcia stated police can be rising the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the city the place there are giant Asian American populations.

“We're turning to each resident of town of Dallas to maintain a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia mentioned. “Hate has no place right here.”

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of assaults targeting Asian Individuals throughout the nation, which spiked in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.