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

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the May 11 capturing of three girls 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 collection of recent shootings at Asian-run companies in the metropolis, police stated.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in response to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and were transported to an area 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 realized 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 around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Area 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 workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to thoroughly examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not capable of remark further presently."

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

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

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

"At the moment, there have been no arrests on those circumstances," 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 businesses may be connected.” The suspect in each incident was driving the same vehicle.

This picture shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are in search of a person who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three folks.

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

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

Garcia stated the shooting on the salon may be linked to 1 that happened a day earlier than and one that came about final month.

Police learned from witness experiences that on April 2, a driver in a pink minivan drove previous a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired photographs at three companies. Nobody was injured.

And on Could 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automobile drove by and shot into Asian-run businesses near 4849 Sunnyvale Road, police stated.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the possible connection and ask for their help,” Garcia stated. “This consists of the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Task Drive. We're also working with North Texas police companions to determine if this criminal action has or is going down in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia said police will be rising the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas within the metropolis where there are large Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.