DALLAS — The man arrested in connection to the shooting at a Dallas Koreatown salon has been indicted on multiple charges – which the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney Office classified under Texas law as hate crimes.
Dallas County DA John Creuzot announced on Tuesday that 37-year-old Jeremy Smith has been indicted on seven charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Creuzot said Smith was motivated by bias or prejudice against Asian American when he allegedly fired a rifle inside of Hair World Salon, located at 2216 Royal Lane on May 11, 2022. Three victims were struck by gunfire, and four others were threatened inside the business.
Smith was arrested by Dallas police on May 16. According to the arrest affidavit, Smith had “delusions about Asian American trying to harm him and was fire from his job for “verbally attacking” his boss, his girlfriend told investigators in the case.
His girlfriend reportedly told police, Smith had been in a car crash with an Asian man about two years ago. Since the crash, Smith has “had near panic attacks when he is around anyone of Asian descent.”
The affidavit also states that Smith was captured on surveillance video running back to his vehicle with an “assault-style rifle” after the shooting.
Three weeks following the shooting, WFAA spoke with one victim’s son, John Park. His mother’s artery was pierced by a bullet and she lost half her blood and was taken into emergency surgery.
Park told WFAA as a result of the shooting, the salon owners were closing the store indefinitely and he was worried for all of the victims’ mental health, including his mother.
“She hasn’t stepped a single foot outside home,” Park told WFAA.
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The DA’s Office presented Smith’s case to a grand jury on Aug. 4. After reviewing evidence, the grand jury found there was enough evident to find probable cause and to indict Smith, in which the charges were enhanced to hate crimes.
Smith remains in the Dallas County jail on bonds totaling $700,000, official said.