Suspect identified in Dallas salon shooting as FBI opens hate crime investigation

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 capturing of three girls in a hair salon within the metropolis'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 city, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker 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, in response to police.

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

"During our investigation, detectives realized that two years ago Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he's round anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Area Workplace, the U.S. Legal professional’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 field office in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we aren't in a position to comment additional presently."

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

Two of the taking pictures victims – the owner and an worker – were current at the assembly, in keeping with WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face lined. The women didn't reveal their names.

Garcia said that police continue to investigate two other shootings that may be linked to the salon capturing.

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

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

This picture reveals the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are looking for a man who opened fireplace contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

Police said they learned from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what appeared to be "a darkish color minivan-type vehicle" on Royal Lane after which walked across the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening fire as quickly as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia mentioned the capturing at the salon might be linked to 1 that occurred a day before and one which befell final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now reached out to our companions to make them aware of the doable connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia mentioned. “This includes the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Task Pressure. We're additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this prison 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 space, wounding three people.

Garcia mentioned police will likely be growing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis the place there are massive Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reports:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.