Investigators looking into the May 11 shooting at Hair World Salon in Dallas have now included the possibility that is was a hate crime and say it may be linked to two other recent shootings at Asian-owned businesses in the same neighborhood, known as the Asian Trade District within the Koreatown community, according to news reports. The three women injured in the shooting, who are all expected to recover, are of Korean descent.

The salon's Google listing quotes the owner as stating that the salon caters to the hair needs of Asian-Americans. No injuries were reported as a result of the other shootings on the block, which were more of a drive-by nature.  But in this case, according to reports, an unidentified man entered Hair World Salon, said something unidentified, opened fire, and left. Video shows the man leaving in a maroon minivan, which is similar to descriptions of the car in the other incidents. 

Because of the salon setting, this shooting also has drawn comparisons to the March 2021 murder spree at three Atlanta-area spas that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. According to aapihatecrimes.org, the pandemic has triggered higher rates of hate crimes against people with Asian background.

Ryoko Garcia (@nailsbyryoko) is an independent artist in a full-service salon in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Her salon is located near US Air Force bases. 

"Our service providers are 80% Asian, and many of our clients used to station in Asia so they are very friendly and understanding," Garcia says. "Growing up in Japan, I never experienced racism so living in the US and seeing it is eye-opening to me. I think we should accept who we are and respect where we are from, and celebrate our differences. At the end of the day, we are all human beings. I love living in the US because many people are coming from different places and cultural backgrounds. To see the diversity is beautiful to me."

The timing of the Hair World Salon shooting is further notable for falling during May, which multiple American organizations have designated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month "paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success."