Suspect recognized in Dallas salon shooting as FBI opens hate crime investigation

The incident may be linked to shootings at Asian-run companies, police mentioned.

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 11 capturing of three girls in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and might be linked to a sequence of recent shootings at Asian-run companies in the metropolis, police stated.

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

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified the suspect as 36-year-old Jeremy Smith during a press conference on Tuesday. Garcia said 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 said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Field Workplace, the U.S. Attorney’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 subject workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to thoroughly investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not capable of remark additional right now."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an worker – were present on the meeting, 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 stated that police continue to investigate two other shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced 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 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 hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three individuals.

Police stated they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what seemed to be "a darkish coloration minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane after which walked throughout the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening fireplace as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police also launched a security picture of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the taking pictures at the salon may be linked to at least one that occurred a day before and one that came about final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have reached out to our companions to make them aware 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 Force. We are also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this criminal action has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police will be increasing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the city where there are large Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan experiences:

ABC Information' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.