Suspect recognized in Dallas salon capturing as FBI opens hate crime investigation

The incident could also be linked to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police said.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Might 11 shooting of three women in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could be linked to a sequence of current shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and were transported to a neighborhood hospital, in response to police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives discovered that two years in the past Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he's round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Office, the U.S. Legal professional’s Office for the Northern District in Texas and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice have opened a federal hate crime investigation into the incident at Hair World Salon in Dallas,” a spokesperson for the FBI subject workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to completely investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to remark additional at this time."

Police met with neighborhood members at a town corridor in Koreatown on Monday amid issues for the public's security.

Two of the taking pictures victims – the proprietor and an worker – have been present at the assembly, in accordance with WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face covered. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to investigate two different shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"At this time, there have been no arrests on these instances," 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 companies could also be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving an analogous automobile.

This picture reveals the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

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

Police additionally released a safety picture of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

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

Police learned from witness studies that on April 2, a driver in a crimson minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired pictures at three companies. No one was injured.

And on Might 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or car drove by and shot into Asian-run companies close to 4849 Sunnyvale Avenue, police said.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the possible connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia said. “This consists of the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Task Power. We're also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this legal motion has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Might 12, 2022. A person opened fireplace contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three individuals.

Garcia stated police might be growing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the metropolis the place there are massive Asian American populations.

“We are turning to every resident of the town of Dallas to maintain a watch out and safeguard our metropolis,” Garcia said. “Hate has no place right here.”

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of attacks targeting Asian Individuals across the nation, which spiked through the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan experiences:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.