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 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 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 series of current shootings at Asian-run companies within the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to a local hospital, according to police.

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives learned that two years ago Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he's around anyone 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. Legal professional’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 discipline workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to remark additional presently."

Police met with group members at a city hall in Koreatown on Monday amid considerations for the general public's safety.

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

Garcia stated that police continue to research two other shootings that could be linked to the salon capturing.

"Presently, there have been no arrests on these cases," Garcia said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced throughout a Friday press convention that legislation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run companies may be connected.” The suspect in every incident was driving the same automobile.

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

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

Police additionally launched a safety 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 1 that happened a day earlier than and one which took place last month.

Police discovered from witness studies that on April 2, a driver in a purple minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run businesses and fired shots at three businesses. Nobody was injured.

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now reached out to our companions to make them aware of the doable connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This includes the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Job Force. We are also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this criminal motion has or is going down of their jurisdictions.”

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

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

“We're turning to every resident of the city of Dallas to keep 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 Americans across the nation, which spiked through the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.