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

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

17 Could 2022, 21:08

• 7 min learn

Dallas police arrested a suspect in reference to the Could 11 capturing of three ladies in a hair salon within the city's Koreatown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and could possibly be linked to a series of recent shootings at Asian-run companies in the metropolis, police mentioned.

The victims, the salon owner, an employee and a buyer, are all Korean, in response to ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas. The women suffered nonfatal injuries and had been transported to a local hospital, based on police.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia identified 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.

"Throughout our investigation, detectives learned that two years ago Smith had a motor vehicle crash with an Asian male," Garcia said. "Since this crash, Smith has had panic attacks and delusions when he is round anyone 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. 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 discipline office in Dallas informed ABC News on Monday. "We're in close communication with Dallas Police and are partnering together to thoroughly investigate this incident. As this is an ongoing investigation, we're not capable of comment further presently."

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

Two of the capturing victims – the owner and an worker – had been current on the assembly, in accordance with WFAA. The employee spoke with the help of an interpreter and her was face coated. The ladies didn't reveal their names.

Garcia mentioned that police proceed to research two different 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 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 an analogous automobile.

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

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

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

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

Police learned from witness studies that on April 2, a driver in a purple minivan drove past a strip mall of Asian-run businesses and fired photographs at three businesses. Nobody 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 Road, police mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of warning, we've reached out to our companions to make them conscious of the doable connection and ask for his or her help,” Garcia said. “This contains the FBI and member agencies of the Joint Terrorism Job Drive. We're also working with North Texas police partners to determine if this felony action has or is taking place in 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 stated police might be increasing the presence of high visibility patrol officers in areas within the city where there are large Asian American populations.

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

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

ABC's Jim Ryan reviews:

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and contributed to this report.