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

The incident could also be linked to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police said.

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 11 taking pictures 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 city, police mentioned.

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 accidents and had been transported to a neighborhood hospital, based on police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives learned that two years in the past 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 around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Office, 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 field office in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to completely investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to remark additional at this time."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the proprietor and an employee – have been present on the meeting, according to WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face covered. The ladies did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to investigate two other shootings that may be linked to the salon shooting.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press conference that law enforcement “concluded three latest shootings of Asian run businesses may be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving an identical vehicle.

This photograph shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are looking for a man who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three people.

Police stated they learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish color minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane after which walked throughout the car parking zone and into the establishment, allegedly opening fire 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 mentioned the taking pictures at the salon might be linked to 1 that occurred a day earlier than and one which occurred last month.

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

And on Might 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automotive drove by and shot into Asian-run businesses near 4849 Sunnyvale Avenue, 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 assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This contains the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Job Pressure. We're also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this legal action has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police shall be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the metropolis where there are giant Asian American populations.

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

These incidents in Dallas come amid a spate of attacks targeting Asian Individuals across the nation, which spiked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC Information' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.