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

The incident could also be linked to shootings at Asian-run companies, police mentioned.

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Could 11 taking pictures of three women 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 series of latest shootings at Asian-run businesses within the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an employee and a customer, are all Korean, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to a neighborhood hospital, in keeping with police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives learned that two years ago Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he's around anyone 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 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 discipline workplace in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We are in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't capable of remark further right now."

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

Two of the taking pictures victims – the owner and an employee – were present on the assembly, in response to WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face lined. The women did not reveal their names.

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

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that law enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run companies may be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving the same vehicle.

This photograph exhibits the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a man who opened hearth inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police stated they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a dark colour minivan-type car" on Royal Lane after which walked across the car parking zone and into the establishment, allegedly opening fireplace as soon as he entered the salon.

Police additionally released a security picture of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the taking pictures at the salon might be linked to at least one that happened a day earlier than and one which passed off final month.

Police discovered from witness studies that on April 2, a driver in a red minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run businesses and fired pictures at three companies. No one was injured.

And on Might 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automotive 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 partners to make them conscious of the possible connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia said. “This contains the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Process Force. We're also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony motion has or is going down in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A person opened fire contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three individuals.

Garcia stated police will be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the metropolis the place there are large Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.