A shooting that injured three women in a hair salon in Dallas' Koreatown might have been a hate crime and could be connected to two other shootings at businesses run by Asian Americans, says Police Chief Eddie Garcia. The chief had previously said police didn’t have a indication the shooting Wednesday at Hair World Salon was motivated by hate. He called the possible hate motive "chilling and deeply disturbing" Authorities are seeking for a man dressed in black who opened fire at the salon, then drove off in a maroon minivan. Garcia said a similar vehicle was reported to be involved in two other recent shootings, reports the Associated Press.
Garcia said police would increase patrols and were reaching out to other police departments in North Texas to see if there have been any similar incidents in their area. The three women who were shot at the salon were taken to a hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening. The daughter of one of the injured women said her mother said that the man calmly walked in, opened fire and left. John Jun of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Korean American Coalition said, "It seems like they are targeting for sure Asian Americans and most likely Korean American businesses in the area." He said the salon is in the heart of Koreatown, a part of the city that was transformed in the 1980s from an industrial area to a thriving district with shopping, dining, markets, medical offices and salons. Anti-Asian violence has risen sharply. Last year, six women of Asian descent were among eight killed in a shooting at massage businesses in and near Atlanta.