Current Events > Dallas shooting may be linked to other shootings targeting Asian businesses

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/dallas-salon-shooting-linked-shootings-asian-businesses-police-investi-rcna28822

A shooting at a Dallas hair salon that injured three women of Korean descent may be part of a string of shootings targeting Asian businesses, police said Friday. Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said a similar vehicle was used in three recent shootings, including Wednesday's attack at a hair salon described as Korean-owned. Police have not publicly identified a suspect. The motive in the shootings is unknown, though Garcia indicated Friday case is now a hate crime investigation, just a day after he said "we can confidently say that hate was not a motivating factor. The chief said that when he made that comment, the facts hadnt yet led to a possible link between the shootings. Often times it does take this long, he said. Im very fortunate that our hard-working men and women did put it together so that we can clarify some things, in the abundance of caution, to give our communities a heads-up. If the root of the attacks turns out to be hate, Garcia said, It has no place here. Detectives are working to see if there was a ballistics match for the three attacks. He announced the possible link at an afternoon news conference. The first two attacks happened April 2 and May 10 and were characterized by Garcia as drive-by shootings that appeared to target Asian American businesses. Witnesses described a red or burgundy minivan or vehicle in those incidents; a similar older-model minivan was described at Wednesday's shooting at Hair World Salon.

Salon owner Chang Hye Jin, 44, was among those wounded and said she thought from the start that the shooting was a hate crime. "It especially feels targeted because he didnt even demand money," she said. "He just came in to shoot people. She said she was so traumatized by the violence that she has not been back to the store and isn't sure when it will reopen. Chang was struck in her left foot by gunfire, she said, and injured her right foot as she fled. Chang said she feels unsafe anywhere in the United States now and decried the prevalence of guns. One man and seven women were inside the salon when another co-owner said she spotted a man holding a gun outside in a salon mirror. The South Korean woman, who said she was terrorized by the incident, dashed to lock it. But she couldn't do so before the gunman got in and started shooting, she said. The co-owner was injured in three places on her right arm and required a four-hour surgery, she said. The third victim was a customer, the salon's owners said. The Dallas police chief said he has notified the FBI, the region's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Anti-Defamation League and the Dallas mayor's hate crimes task force.