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

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Could 11 shooting of three girls in a hair salon in the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a series of recent shootings at Asian-run businesses within the metropolis, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon owner, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, in line with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal injuries and were transported to an area hospital, in accordance with police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified 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 realized 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's around 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 Department 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 completely examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not able to remark further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an worker – have been current at the meeting, in accordance with WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police continue to research two different shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"Right now, there have been no arrests on those cases," Garcia said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies could also be connected.” The suspect in each incident was driving a similar car.

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

Police said they discovered from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what appeared to be "a darkish colour minivan-type vehicle" on Royal Lane and then walked across the car parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening hearth as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police also launched a security picture of a maroon minivan they mentioned the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the taking pictures at the salon could be linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one which passed off last month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now reached out to our partners to make them aware of the doable connection and ask for their help,” Garcia mentioned. “This includes the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Activity Pressure. We are additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this criminal action has or is happening of their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia mentioned police will likely be increasing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis the place there are massive Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.