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

The incident could also be related to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police mentioned.

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 capturing of three women 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 series of current shootings at Asian-run businesses in the metropolis, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, in response to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to an area hospital, according to police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives realized that two years in the past Smith had a motorcar 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 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 discipline office in Dallas instructed ABC Information 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 remark additional at the moment."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the proprietor and an worker – were current on the assembly, in line with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

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

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced throughout a Friday press conference that law enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies may be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical car.

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

Police stated they learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what seemed to be "a dark color 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 released a safety image of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the shooting on the salon may be linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one which befell last month.

Police learned from witness reports that on April 2, a driver in a purple minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired shots 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 near 4849 Sunnyvale Road, police mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've got reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the doable connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This consists of the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Job Force. We're additionally working with North Texas police companions to find out if this criminal motion has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A man opened fireplace contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Garcia stated police will be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis the place there are large Asian American populations.

“We are turning to each resident of the city of Dallas to keep a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia mentioned. “Hate has no place here.”

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of assaults targeting Asian People across the nation, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.