Man indicted for hate crimes in Dallas Korean hair salon shooting
By Carl Samson
The man accused of firing multiple rounds at a Korean hair salon in Dallas in May has been indicted on Tuesday on several counts, including hate crime enhancements.
Jeremy Theron Smith, 37, allegedly started having delusions about Asians attacking him after he was involved in a car crash with an Asian driver two years ago, his girlfriend previously told authorities.
Smith was accused of entering Hair World Salon in the 2200 block of Royal Lane at around 2:20 p.m. on May 11 and firing 13 shots with a .22-caliber rifle before fleeing in a red Honda Odyssey minivan.
Seven people were inside Hair World Salon when the incident occurred, according to reports. Three Korean women — the salon’s owner, an employee and a customer — sustained gunshot wounds.
Smith’s girlfriend told police that he had been admitted to several mental health facilities due to his delusions. She also said he was fired from a previous job for “verbally attacking” his Asian boss.
Tuesday’s indictment charged Smith with seven counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Each carries a hate crime enhancement and a prison sentence ranging from five to 99 years.
One of the victims, who was a first-time customer of the salon, was nearly paralyzed from the incident, according to her son, John Park. Since the incident, she has reportedly been suffering from trauma.
“She heard many, many multiple gunshots. They were very loud. People were screaming. She saw the blood splashes from the other people,” Park, who is a physician, told NBC DFW in June.
“She cries a lot,” he added. “I’m worried about her mental well-being, to be honest.”
Eddie Garcia, the current police chief of the Dallas Police Department, said the salon attack may be connected to two other shootings that targeted Asians in the city. Those incidents reportedly occurred on April 2 — also in the 2200 block of Royal Lane — and on May 10 in East Oak Cliff, and they both involved a suspect fleeing in a red van.
Smith was arrested on May 17. He remains held at the Dallas County jail on a $700,000 bail.
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