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

The incident may be related to shootings at Asian-run companies, police mentioned.

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 11 taking pictures of three ladies in a hair salon in the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could possibly be linked to a collection of recent shootings at Asian-run companies within the metropolis, police stated.

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives realized that two years in the past Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks 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 Field Office, the U.S. Legal professional’s Office 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 subject workplace in Dallas told ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to totally investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to remark further at this time."

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

Two of the taking pictures victims – the proprietor and an worker – were current on the meeting, in accordance with WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to analyze two different shootings that could be linked to the salon capturing.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced throughout a Friday press conference that legislation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run businesses may be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an analogous car.

This photo exhibits the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three individuals.

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

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

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

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

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we have reached out to our companions to make them aware of the potential connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia stated. “This includes the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Job Force. We are also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this legal action has or is taking place in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia stated police can be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the city the place there are massive Asian American populations.

“We are turning to every resident of town of Dallas to keep a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia mentioned. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.