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

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Might 11 taking pictures of three ladies in a hair salon in the metropolis'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 in the metropolis, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, according to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and had been transported to an area hospital, in response to police.

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

"During 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 is round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Office, 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 field workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We're in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to thoroughly examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not in a position to remark further at this time."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an worker – have been present on the assembly, in response to WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to investigate two different shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"Right now, there have been no arrests on these instances," Garcia mentioned, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced during a Friday press conference that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies may be connected.” The suspect in every incident was driving a similar car.

This photo shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are looking for a person who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police stated they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what appeared to be "a dark shade minivan-type car" on Royal Lane after which walked throughout the parking lot and into the establishment, allegedly opening fire as soon as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia said the taking pictures at the salon is perhaps linked to 1 that occurred a day before and one which befell final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we've reached out to our companions to make them aware of the attainable connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This contains the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We're additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony motion has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, May 12, 2022. A man opened fire inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three individuals.

Garcia mentioned police will likely be increasing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas within the city where there are massive 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 focusing on Asian Individuals across the nation, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan studies:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.