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

The incident could also be connected to shootings at Asian-run businesses, police mentioned.

17 May 2022, 21:08

• 7 min read

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Could 11 taking pictures of three women in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a collection of current shootings at Asian-run companies in the metropolis, police said.

The victims, the salon owner, an worker and a buyer, are all Korean, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The ladies suffered nonfatal accidents and have been transported to a local hospital, in keeping with 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.

"Throughout our investigation, detectives realized that two years ago Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia stated. "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 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 workplace in Dallas advised ABC Information on Monday. "We are in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to completely examine this incident. As that is an ongoing investigation, we aren't capable of remark additional presently."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an employee – were present at the assembly, in line with WFAA. The worker spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face lined. The women didn't reveal their names.

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

"Right now, there have been no arrests on those circumstances," Garcia stated, 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 businesses could also be linked.” The suspect in each incident was driving a similar car.

This photograph shows the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are on the lookout for a person who opened hearth contained in the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, 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 colour minivan-type vehicle" on Royal Lane after which walked across the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening fireplace as quickly as he entered the salon.

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

Garcia mentioned the taking pictures at the salon is perhaps linked to 1 that occurred a day earlier than and one that came about final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we've reached out to our companions to make them aware of the attainable connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia said. “This consists of the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We are also working with North Texas police companions to find out if this prison motion has or is going down in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Might 12, 2022. A person opened fire inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

Garcia mentioned police shall be rising 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 the town of Dallas to keep a watch out and safeguard our city,” Garcia stated. “Hate has no place here.”

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.