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

The incident could also be connected to shootings at Asian-run companies, police stated.

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 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 be linked to a series of current shootings at Asian-run businesses in the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon owner, an employee and a customer, are all Korean, in line with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and had been transported to an area hospital, according to police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives realized that two years in the past Smith had a motorized vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is round anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject Office, the U.S. Attorney’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 discipline workplace in Dallas instructed ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to completely examine this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we're not able to remark additional at the moment."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an employee – had been current on the assembly, in accordance with WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to investigate two different shootings which may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"Presently, there have been no arrests on those instances," Garcia said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies may be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an analogous automobile.

This photograph shows the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Might 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a man who opened fireplace contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police mentioned they discovered from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a darkish colour minivan-type car" on Royal Lane and then walked throughout the parking lot and into the establishment, allegedly opening fireplace as soon as he entered the salon.

Police also launched a safety picture of a maroon minivan they mentioned the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the taking pictures on the salon might be linked to 1 that occurred a day before and one that befell last month.

Police realized from witness reports 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 Might 10, a suspect in a burgundy van or automobile drove by and shot into Asian-run companies near 4849 Sunnyvale Street, police mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've got reached out to our companions to make them aware of the possible connection and ask for their help,” Garcia said. “This consists of the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Activity Power. We are additionally working with North Texas police companions to determine if this criminal motion has or is going down in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A man opened hearth inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three folks.

Garcia stated police might be increasing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas within the city the place there are giant Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.