Ohio Democratic rep. blames white supremacy for Dallas Korean hair salon shooting

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D, OH-3) spoke at the Capitol on Thursday, stating that “three people in a Korean-owned hair salon” were gunned by another “w

Beatty, who is also chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, mistakenly blamed white supremacy for the shooting at the Dallas Korean hair salon that left three women of Korean descent wounded.

“Vigilantes acting with racial animus and espousing white supremacist ideology that results in the loss of innocent lives must be classified as a hate crime, full stop,” said the congresswoman, who concluded by urging legislators for better gun control regulations.

“Last year, more than 20,000 Americans lost their lives to gun violence. In the aftermath of this horrific episode, Congress has a moral obligation to make our nation fairer and safer for all Americans.”

What Beatty did get right, however, was that the shooting was most likely a hate crime, based on police reports.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia announced on Tuesday the arrest of 36-year-old Jeremy Theron Smith, who is believed to have mental health issues.

According to Garcia, the gunman had been suffering for several years from “panic attacks and delusions when he was around anyone of Asian descent.”

Smith had a history of being admitted to multiple mental health facilities, and he previously was fired from a job after verbally attacking a boss of Asian descent.

Police arrested Smith while he was on the job cleaning leaves and trash from someone’s lawn.

Feature image via Joyce Beatty and Congressional Black Caucus

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