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

The incident may be linked to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police stated.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 11 capturing of three ladies in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and might be linked to a series of current shootings at Asian-run businesses within the metropolis, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to an area hospital, according to police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified 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.

"During our investigation, detectives learned that two years in the past Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he's round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Workplace, the U.S. Lawyer’s Office 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 discipline workplace in Dallas told 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 are not able to remark further at this time."

Police met with community members at a town hall in Koreatown on Monday amid concerns for the public's security.

Two of the taking pictures victims – the proprietor and an worker – were current at the assembly, in accordance with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face coated. The women did not reveal their names.

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

"Right now, there have been no arrests on these instances," 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 current shootings of Asian run companies could also be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical vehicle.

This photograph shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened fireplace inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three individuals.

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

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

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

Police realized from witness reviews that on April 2, a driver in a crimson minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired shots at three businesses. Nobody was injured.

And on May 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automotive drove by and shot into Asian-run businesses near 4849 Sunnyvale Street, police said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we've reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the attainable connection and ask for their assistance,” Garcia stated. “This contains the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Task Pressure. We're also working with North Texas police companions to determine if this felony action has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A person opened fireplace contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Garcia stated police might 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 each resident of the town of Dallas to maintain a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia mentioned. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reviews:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.