Jeremy Smith, 37, was charged with seven counts of aggravated assault and is being held on $700,000 bond

At 2:20 p.m. on Could 11, Jeremy Smith, 37, allegedly walked into the Hair World Salon and fired a .22 caliber rifle 13 occasions — placing three ladies and endangering 4 extra, in accordance with an announcement launched by Dallas County Legal District Lawyer John Creuzot.

“Smith is alleged to have deliberately chosen the complainants due to his bias or prejudice towards Asian Individuals,” says the assertion. “After reviewing the proof, the Grand Jury discovered that there was enough proof to search out possible trigger and to indict Smith for these hate crimes.”

Smith was charged with seven counts of aggravated assault and is presently being held on $700,000 bond, in accordance with on-line jail data.

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On the time of Smith’s arrest, his girlfriend instructed investigators that he was concerned in a automotive crash two years in the past with a person of Asian descent. Since then, she alleged, he’d been “delusional” about Asian Individuals, in accordance with an affidavit obtained by the Related Press.

“[H]e begins having delusions that the Asian mob is after him or making an attempt to hurt him,” each time he is round anybody of Asian descent, his girlfriend instructed police, the AP reported.

Throughout a press convention in Could, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia advised the incident was a hate crime.

“Proper now, it is a difficulty of hate. It is a hate crime. Nonetheless that manifests itself, I am not right here to say that,” Garcia mentioned. “I can let you know that I do know our neighborhood sees it as a hate crime. I see it as a hate crime and so do our women and men.”

In case you’ve been attacked or have witnessed an assault, please contact your native authorities. You can too report your incident right here. To study extra and to report crimes, go to: Asian Individuals Advancing Justice, Cease the AAPI Hate, Nationwide Council of Asian Pacific Individuals, Asian Individuals Advancing Justice-LA, and Asian Pacific Coverage & Planning Council.