A Dallas County grand jury handed down seven indictments Tuesday against the man accused in the May attack at an Asian-owned hair salon in Dallas, prosecutors say.
Jeremy Smith, 37, faces seven indictments of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the May 11 shooting at Hair World Salon, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot announced Tuesday.
"Smith is alleged to have intentionally selected the complainants because of his bias or prejudice against Asian Americans," according to the statement.
Smith is accused of shooting three women of Korean descent in an attack authorities have investigated as a hate crime. Four others were present at the salon but were not injured.
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According to a police affidavit, Smith's girlfriend told police detectives that he had been delusional about Asian Americans since being involved in a car crash two years ago with a man of Asian descent. She said he had been admitted to several mental health facilities because of the delusions.
Whenever Smith is around an Asian American, "he begins having delusions that the Asian mob is after him or attempting to harm him," his girlfriend told police. She said he was fired for "verbally attacking" his boss, who was of Asian descent.
The indictment charges Smith with seven counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, each with a hate-crime enhancement. Each count is punishable by from five to 99 years in prison.
Smith remains in the Dallas County jail with bonds totaling $700,000. A message to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Dallas police previously said they were investigating whether Smith was connected to two other shootings targeting Asian-owned businesses. Creuzot said Tuesday that those investigations are continuing.
The shooting at the salon, located in the heart of Dallas' Koreatown, triggered a wave of security measures in other areas with Asian-owned businesses and churches.
CONTINUING COVERAGE: DALLAS SALON SHOOTING
Anti-Asian violence has risen sharply in recent years. Last year, six women of Asian descent were among the eight killed in a shooting at massage businesses in and near Atlanta, heightening anger and fear among Asian Americans. And a West Texas man was sentenced to 25 years in prison earlier this month for attacking an Asian family outside a Midland, Texas, department store in 2020 because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
