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

The incident could also be connected to shootings at Asian-run companies, 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 be linked to a collection of recent shootings at Asian-run companies within the metropolis, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an employee and a customer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and have been transported to an area hospital, according to police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives discovered that two years in the past Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he is around anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Area Workplace, 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 subject office in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to completely examine this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we're not in a position to comment additional presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an employee – were current on the assembly, in response to WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face lined. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia stated that police proceed to research two different shootings that may be linked to the salon shooting.

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press convention that legislation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run companies could also be connected.” The suspect in every incident was driving an analogous vehicle.

This photograph reveals the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened hearth inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three individuals.

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

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

Garcia mentioned the capturing at the salon may be linked to one that happened a day before and one which happened final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we now have reached out to our partners to make them conscious of the potential connection and ask for their assistance,” Garcia mentioned. “This consists of the FBI and member companies of the Joint Terrorism Process Pressure. We are additionally working with North Texas police companions to determine if this criminal action has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

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

Garcia said police can be increasing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the city the place there are large Asian American populations.

“We're turning to every resident of the city of Dallas to maintain a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia stated. “Hate has no place right here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.