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

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

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 taking pictures of three girls in a hair salon within the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a sequence of current shootings at Asian-run businesses within the metropolis, police stated.

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

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia recognized the suspect as 36-year-old Jeremy Smith throughout a press conference 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 motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he is round anyone 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 Workplace 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 discipline workplace in Dallas told ABC News on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not in a position to comment further at the moment."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the proprietor and an worker – were present at the meeting, according to WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The women 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 the moment, there have been no arrests on those cases," 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 current shootings of Asian run businesses may be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving the same vehicle.

This photograph reveals the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are in search of a man who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

Police said they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what seemed to be "a darkish colour minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane and then walked throughout the car parking zone and into the establishment, allegedly opening hearth as soon as he entered the salon.

Police additionally launched a safety image of a maroon minivan they mentioned the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the taking pictures at the salon is likely to be linked to at least one that happened a day before and one which took place final month.

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

And on Might 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automobile drove by and shot into Asian-run businesses near 4849 Sunnyvale Road, police stated.

“Out of an abundance of caution, now we have reached out to our companions to make them aware of the potential connection and ask for their help,” Garcia said. “This contains the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Task Pressure. We're additionally working with North Texas police companions to find out if this legal motion has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

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

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

“We are turning to every resident of the town of Dallas to maintain an eye fixed 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 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.