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

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the Might 11 taking pictures of three girls in a hair salon within 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 businesses within the metropolis, police said.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a buyer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and were transported to a local 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 mentioned that Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

"Throughout our investigation, detectives discovered that two years ago Smith had a motorcar 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 Department and the FBI are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Workplace, the U.S. Attorney’s Office 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 subject office in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly investigate this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we are not capable of comment further at this time."

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

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

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

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced throughout a Friday press conference that law enforcement “concluded three latest shootings of Asian run companies may be related.” The suspect in every incident was driving a similar automobile.

This photo shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are looking for a person who opened fireplace inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three individuals.

Police stated they learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish shade minivan-type vehicle" 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 also released a safety image of a maroon minivan they said the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the capturing on the salon is perhaps linked to one that occurred a day earlier than and one which passed off last month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we've reached out to our partners to make them aware of the potential connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This contains the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Power. We are additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony action has or is going down of their jurisdictions.”

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

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

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reviews:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.