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

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 shooting of three girls in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a collection of current shootings at Asian-run businesses in the metropolis, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a buyer, are all Korean, in accordance with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and were transported to a neighborhood hospital, in accordance with police.

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives realized 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 Department 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 field workplace in Dallas advised ABC News on Monday. "We're in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly examine this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we're not capable of remark further at the moment."

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 – had been present at the assembly, in line with WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police continue to investigate two different shootings which may be linked to the salon shooting.

"Right now, there have been no arrests on those circumstances," Garcia stated, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

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

This picture exhibits the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened hearth contained in 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 seemed to be "a darkish coloration minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane after which walked across the car parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening fireplace as soon as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia stated the taking pictures on the salon might be linked to at least one that occurred a day earlier than and one which took place final month.

Police realized from witness stories that on April 2, a driver in a red minivan drove past a strip mall of Asian-run businesses and fired photographs at three businesses. Nobody was injured.

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we have reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the possible connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia said. “This includes the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Activity Pressure. We're additionally working with North Texas police companions to find out if this criminal motion has or is happening of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Might 12, 2022. A person opened hearth inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three people.

Garcia mentioned police will be rising the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the city where there are massive Asian American populations.

“We're turning to every resident of town of Dallas to maintain an eye out and safeguard our city,” Garcia stated. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.