Suspect identified in Dallas salon shooting as FBI opens hate crime investigation

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

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

The victims, the salon owner, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, in accordance with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and have been transported to an area hospital, in line with police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified 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 in the past Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults 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 Workplace, the U.S. Lawyer’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 office in Dallas advised ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to completely examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not capable of comment further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an worker – were current on the assembly, based on WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The women didn't reveal their names.

Garcia said that police proceed to research two different shootings that could be linked to the salon shooting.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced throughout a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run businesses could also be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving an identical car.

This photo exhibits the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are searching for a man who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police mentioned they discovered from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what appeared to be "a darkish colour minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane after which walked throughout the parking lot and into the institution, allegedly opening fire as soon as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia stated the shooting on the salon may be linked to one that happened a day before and one that 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 businesses and fired shots at three businesses. No one was injured.

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we have now reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the attainable connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia stated. “This contains the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Task Drive. We're additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this legal motion 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 folks.

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

“We are turning to each resident of the city 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 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABC's Jim Ryan reviews:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.