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

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

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 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 latest shootings at Asian-run companies within the city, police said.

The victims, the salon owner, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, in line with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to a local hospital, based on police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives learned that two years ago Smith had a motorized vehicle 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 Field Workplace, the U.S. Attorney’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 field office in Dallas told ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to remark additional presently."

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

Two of the taking pictures victims – the proprietor and an employee – had been present on the meeting, in response to WFAA. The employee 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 research two other shootings that could be linked to the salon shooting.

"Presently, there have been no arrests on those instances," Garcia stated, including that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced throughout a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run businesses could also be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving an analogous car.

This photo exhibits the inside 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 learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a dark shade minivan-type car" on Royal Lane after which walked throughout the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening hearth as soon as he entered the salon.

Police additionally launched a security picture of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the capturing at the salon is likely to be linked to one that happened a day earlier than and one which happened 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 companies and fired shots at three businesses. No one was injured.

And on Could 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automobile drove by and shot into Asian-run businesses close to 4849 Sunnyvale Avenue, police stated.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we've reached out to our partners to make them aware of the attainable connection and ask for their help,” Garcia mentioned. “This consists of the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Job Power. We are additionally working with North Texas police partners to determine if this felony motion has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia said police might be growing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis where there are giant Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.