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

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Might 11 taking pictures of three women 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 series of current shootings at Asian-run companies in the city, police said.

The victims, the salon proprietor, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, according to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal accidents and were 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 said that Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

"During our investigation, detectives realized that two years in the past Smith had a motorcar crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic assaults and delusions when he's around anyone of Asian descent."

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

"The Dallas FBI Subject 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 discipline workplace in Dallas told ABC Information on Monday. "We're in shut communication with Dallas Police and are partnering collectively to totally investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not capable of comment additional presently."

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

Two of the shooting victims – the owner and an worker – have been current on the assembly, according to WFAA. The worker spoke with the assistance of an interpreter and her was face covered. The women did not reveal their names.

Garcia said that police proceed to analyze two other shootings which may be linked to the salon capturing.

"At the moment, there have been no arrests on those circumstances," Garcia said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after Garcia announced during a Friday press conference that legislation enforcement “concluded three current shootings of Asian run businesses may be linked.” The suspect in every incident was driving an identical vehicle.

This photograph exhibits the inside of Hair World Salon in Dallas on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Police are looking for a person who opened fire inside the salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three folks.

Police said they realized from a witness report that an unknown Black male parked in what gave the impression to be "a dark shade minivan-type car" on Royal Lane and then walked across the parking zone and into the institution, allegedly opening hearth as quickly as he entered the salon.

Police additionally released a safety picture of a maroon minivan they stated the shooter fled the scene in.

Garcia mentioned the shooting on the salon may be linked to 1 that occurred a day before and one that befell final month.

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

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

“Out of an abundance of warning, we now have reached out to our partners to make them aware of the doable connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia mentioned. “This contains the FBI and member businesses of the Joint Terrorism Job Drive. We are also working with North Texas police partners to determine if this criminal motion has or is happening in their jurisdictions.”

Hair World Salon in Dallas, Could 12, 2022. A person opened hearth inside the hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown area, wounding three folks.

Garcia mentioned police will probably be growing the presence of excessive visibility patrol officers in areas in the metropolis where there are giant Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan studies:

ABC Information' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.