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

The incident could also be connected 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 Could 11 capturing of three women in a hair salon within the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and might be linked to a collection of latest shootings at Asian-run businesses within the metropolis, police stated.

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

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives discovered 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's around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Workplace, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace 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 subject workplace in Dallas informed 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 are not capable of remark further right now."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an worker – were present at the meeting, in line with WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The ladies did not reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to analyze two different shootings that may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"At this time, there have been no arrests on those instances," Garcia said, including that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced throughout a Friday press convention that legislation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run businesses could also be connected.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical automobile.

This picture exhibits the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are in search of a man who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police said they learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what seemed to be "a dark colour minivan-type vehicle" on Royal Lane and then walked across the parking lot and into the establishment, allegedly opening fireplace as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police additionally launched a safety picture of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the shooting at the salon might be linked to one that happened a day before and one which passed off last month.

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

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

“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 agencies of the Joint Terrorism Task Drive. We are also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony action has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police shall be rising the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas within the city where there are giant Asian American populations.

“We're turning to each resident of the city of Dallas to keep an eye fixed out and safeguard our metropolis,” Garcia stated. “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 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.