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

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Could 11 capturing of three women in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could be linked to a collection of current shootings at Asian-run businesses in the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, according to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and were transported to an area hospital, based on 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 in the past Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he is around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Office, the U.S. Attorney’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 area office in Dallas informed ABC Information on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to comment further presently."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the proprietor and an worker – were present on the assembly, according to WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face coated. The ladies did not reveal their names.

Garcia said that police proceed to investigate two other shootings which may be linked to the salon capturing.

"At this time, there have been no arrests on these cases," Garcia said, including that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies may be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical car.

This photograph reveals the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are looking for a person who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

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

Police additionally launched a security image of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia said the capturing at the salon may be linked to at least one that happened a day earlier than and one that came about final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the potential connection and ask for their help,” Garcia mentioned. “This includes the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Power. We're also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this felony action has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Might 12, 2022. A man opened fire contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Garcia stated police will likely be growing 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 town of Dallas to maintain a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia stated. “Hate has no place right here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.