Suspect recognized in Dallas salon capturing as FBI opens hate crime investigation

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Could 11 shooting of three women in a hair salon in the metropolis's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could be linked to a series of current shootings at Asian-run businesses in the city, police said.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a customer, are all Korean, in accordance with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and had been transported to a neighborhood hospital, in accordance with police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives learned that two years ago Smith had a motorized vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he's 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 Department 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 instructed ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to totally investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't able to remark additional presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the proprietor and an employee – were current on the meeting, in line with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

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

"At the moment, there have been no arrests on those cases," Garcia mentioned, including that the investigation is ongoing.

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

This photo exhibits the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are looking for a person who opened hearth inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

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

Police also released a security image of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia stated the capturing on the salon may be linked to at least one that occurred a day before and one that befell last month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, now we have reached out to our partners to make them aware of the potential connection and ask for their help,” Garcia mentioned. “This includes the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Process Power. We are also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this prison action has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police will likely be growing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis where there are giant Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.