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

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to 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 possibly be linked to a collection of recent shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and had been transported to a neighborhood hospital, in keeping with police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives discovered that two years in the past Smith had a motorized vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he is around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Office, the U.S. Lawyer’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 area workplace in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to totally examine this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't capable of remark further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an employee – had been present on the meeting, in line with WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia said that police continue to investigate two other shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced during a Friday press conference that regulation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run companies may be linked.” The suspect in every incident was driving the same vehicle.

This picture shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are in search of a man who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three individuals.

Police stated 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 parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening fire as soon as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia stated the taking pictures on the salon could be linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one which befell final month.

Police learned from witness experiences that on April 2, a driver in a pink minivan drove past a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired shots at three businesses. Nobody was injured.

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we now have reached out to our companions to make them aware of the attainable connection and ask for their help,” Garcia stated. “This consists of the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Activity Force. We're also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this criminal action has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, May 12, 2022. A person opened fire contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three folks.

Garcia said police will be growing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas in the city the place there are giant Asian American populations.

“We're turning to every resident of town of Dallas to keep a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia said. “Hate has no place right here.”

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of assaults concentrating on Asian Individuals throughout the nation, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan studies:

ABC Information' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.