A Dallas man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for a 2022 shooting at a Korean‑owned hair salon in Dallas’ Koreatown, court records show.
Shooting at Koreatown salon
The attack took place May 11, 2022, when the defendant opened fire inside Hair World Salon on Royal Lane. Responding officers found three women with gunshot wounds; all three were taken to area hospitals with injuries described at the time as non‑life‑threatening, according to records. Investigators said the shooter fired more than a dozen rounds inside the business before fleeing.
"bias or prejudice against a group, namely Asian Americans,"
Prosecutors alleged the shooting was motivated by anti‑Asian bias. Under a plea agreement accepted June 30, the defendant — identified in public records as Jeremy Theron Smith, 41 — admitted the assault carried out with a deadly weapon and was designated a hate crime. Because of that designation, he had faced a potential life sentence.
Investigation findings and related incidents
Investigators reported statements from the defendant’s girlfriend that he developed delusions involving Asian people after a traffic crash with an Asian man about two years prior to the salon shooting. She told police he experienced panic attacks around people of Asian descent and believed Asian Americans were trying to harm him. Records also state the defendant was previously fired from a job after verbally confronting an Asian supervisor.
Court records link the defendant to two other 2022 shootings that targeted Asian‑owned businesses in Dallas; authorities said no one was injured in those incidents. He was arrested May 16, 2022, five days after the salon attack.
Competency and plea
The criminal proceedings were delayed after a court found the defendant incompetent to stand trial. Records indicate competency was restored in January 2025, allowing prosecutors to proceed. The plea and sentence were entered following that restoration.
| Key dates | Event |
|---|---|
| May 11, 2022 | Salon shooting in Dallas Koreatown |
| May 16, 2022 | Arrest of the suspect |
| Jan. 2025 | Competency restored |
| June 30 (year not specified in source) | Plea agreement accepted; 15‑year sentence imposed |
- Defendant: Jeremy Theron Smith, 41 (identified in court records)
- Charge: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; designated a hate crime
- Sentence: 15 years in prison under plea agreement
The case drew attention amid heightened concern over anti‑Asian violence nationally and locally. The plea resolves one of several incidents investigators say were linked to the defendant in 2022.
