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

The incident could also be linked to shootings at Asian-run companies, police said.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

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 latest shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police stated.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an worker and a buyer, are all Korean, based on ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal injuries and were transported to a neighborhood hospital, in response to police.

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

"Throughout our investigation, detectives discovered that two years in the past Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is round anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Discipline Workplace, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace 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 area workplace in Dallas told 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 right now."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an employee – had been current on the meeting, in accordance with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies did not reveal their names.

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

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

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced throughout a Friday press convention that regulation enforcement “concluded three recent shootings of Asian run companies could also be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving an identical car.

This picture reveals the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, Could 12, 2022. Police are searching for a person who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three people.

Police said they discovered 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 throughout the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening hearth as quickly as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia stated the taking pictures at the salon could be linked to at least one that occurred a day before and one that happened last month.

Police realized from witness stories that on April 2, a driver in a pink minivan drove past a strip mall of Asian-run companies and fired pictures at three companies. No one 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 have reached out to our companions to make them aware of the possible connection and ask for their help,” Garcia stated. “This includes the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Drive. We're additionally working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony motion has or is taking place of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, May 12, 2022. A man opened fireplace inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

Garcia mentioned police will likely be rising the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the city the place there are large Asian American populations.

“We are turning to each resident of town of Dallas to keep an eye fixed out and safeguard our metropolis,” Garcia stated. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.