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

The incident may be related to shootings at Asian-run companies, police said.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 shooting of three women in a hair salon in the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could possibly be linked to a series of latest shootings at Asian-run companies in 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 ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and have been transported to a local hospital, in keeping with police.

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

The Dallas Police Division 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 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 office in Dallas told ABC News on Monday. "We're in close 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 further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an worker – were present on the assembly, in response to WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to analyze two other shootings that may be linked to the salon capturing.

"At this time, there have been no arrests on these circumstances," Garcia mentioned, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced during a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies could also be linked.” The suspect in every incident was driving the same vehicle.

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

Police mentioned they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what appeared to be "a darkish coloration minivan-type vehicle" on Royal Lane and then walked across the parking lot and into the institution, allegedly opening fireplace as soon as he entered the salon.

Police also released a safety image of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the shooting at the salon may be linked to 1 that happened a day earlier than and one which happened last month.

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

And on Could 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automotive drove by and shot into Asian-run companies close to 4849 Sunnyvale Avenue, police mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our partners to make them aware of the attainable connection and ask for their assistance,” Garcia stated. “This consists of the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Drive. We are additionally working with North Texas police companions to find out if this felony motion has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police might be rising the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the metropolis the place there are giant Asian American populations.

“We are turning to each resident of the town of Dallas to maintain an eye fixed out and safeguard our city,” Garcia said. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.