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 said.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the May 11 capturing of three girls in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could possibly be linked to a series of latest shootings at Asian-run companies within the metropolis, police said.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a buyer, are all Korean, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and had been transported to an area 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 mentioned that Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

"Throughout our investigation, detectives realized that two years in the past 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 around anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Area Workplace, the U.S. Legal professional’s Office 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 instructed ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to thoroughly investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to comment further at the moment."

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

Two of the taking pictures victims – the proprietor and an worker – were present on the meeting, in keeping with WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The women didn't reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to research two different shootings that may be linked to the salon shooting.

"Right now, there have been no arrests on these instances," Garcia stated, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced throughout a Friday press conference that legislation enforcement “concluded three latest shootings of Asian run businesses could also be linked.” The suspect in every incident was driving a similar vehicle.

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

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

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

Garcia mentioned the capturing at the salon is likely to be linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one that came about final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the potential connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia stated. “This contains the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Process Drive. We're also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this prison motion has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

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

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

“We are turning to each resident of the city of Dallas to keep 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 assaults targeting Asian Americans throughout the nation, which spiked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan reviews:

ABC Information' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.