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 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the May 11 capturing of three ladies in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a sequence of latest shootings at Asian-run businesses within the city, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and have been transported to a local hospital, in response to police.

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives learned 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's around anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Workplace, the U.S. Attorney’s Office 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 discipline workplace in Dallas told ABC Information on Monday. "We're in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to comment further right now."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the proprietor and an employee – were present on the assembly, in keeping with WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women didn't reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police continue to research two different shootings that may be linked to the salon capturing.

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

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

This photo reveals the inside 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 individuals.

Police said they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish shade minivan-type automobile" on Royal Lane and then walked throughout the parking lot and into the establishment, allegedly opening fire as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police additionally released a security image of a maroon minivan they mentioned the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the capturing on the salon is perhaps linked to one that happened a day earlier than and one that came about last month.

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the doable connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia stated. “This consists of the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Process Power. We are also working with North Texas police companions to determine if this felony motion has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia mentioned police will likely be growing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas within the city the place there are large Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.