Dallas man pleads guilty to racially-motivated 2022 hair salon shooting
Racially-motivated shooting suspect takes plea deal
A Dallas man will spend over a decade in prison after taking a plea deal and admitting his 2022 shooting of an Asian-owned hair salon was racially motivated. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
DALLAS - A North Texas man will serve over a decade in prison for injuring three people in a hate-crime shooting in 2022.
What we know:
On June 30, 41-year-old Jeremy Theron Smith pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his role in a 2022 shooting at a hair salon off of Royal Lane in Dallas.
He received a 15-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal. The aggravated assault was considered a hate crime, and carried the potential for life in prison.
Smith admitted in court last week his bias against Asian-owned businesses, and specifically targeted them in the 2022 incident.
The backstory:
On May 11, 2022, Smith opened fire at Hair World Salon on Royal Lane in Northwest Dallas.
Three women were injured in the shooting. All three survived their injuries.
Smith's plea deal also linked him to two other shootings in 2022 that targeted Asian-owned businesses. No one was hurt in either one of those shootings.
Smith had also been fired from his previous job for assaulting his Asian boss.
Dig deeper:
Investigators say Smith's girlfriend told them he developed delusions after a car accident with an Asian man. He began believing Asian people were trying to harm him.
Smith was previously found incompetent to stand trial, but was restored to competency in 2025.
What they're saying:
"Targeted attacks like this that are motivated by bias send a message of fear to an entire community."
Stephanie Drenka, the Executive Director of the Dallas Asian American Historical Society, says the sentence may add closure for the victims, but education and conversations must continue.
"Until we address the underlying root causes of racism and gun violence, it's hard to feel like our community is safe."
What's next:
Smith remains in the Dallas County Jail before his transfer to a state prison to serve his sentence.
The Source: Information in this story comes from Dallas County court records and previous FOX 4 reporting.