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

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

17 Might 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in connection with the May 11 shooting of three girls in a hair salon in the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and may very well be linked to a sequence of latest shootings at Asian-run businesses within the city, police stated.

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 were transported to an area hospital, in line with police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia recognized 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 ago Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia mentioned. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is around anybody of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Field Office, the U.S. Lawyer’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 office in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to totally examine this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we aren't capable of comment further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an employee – have been present at the assembly, according to WFAA. The employee spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face lined. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to research two different shootings that may be linked to the salon taking pictures.

"Right now, there have been no arrests on these instances," Garcia said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia introduced during a Friday press conference that law enforcement “concluded three latest shootings of Asian run companies could also be linked.” The suspect in every incident was driving a similar automobile.

This photo reveals the interior of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are in search of a person who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three folks.

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

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

Garcia said the capturing at the salon is likely to be linked to 1 that happened a day earlier than and one that came about last month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now reached out to our partners to make them aware of the possible connection and ask for his or her assistance,” Garcia stated. “This includes the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Process Pressure. We are also working with North Texas police partners to find out if this felony action has or is going down of their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A man opened fireplace contained in the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown space, wounding three people.

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

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan stories:

ABC News' Invoice Hutchinson and contributed to this report.