Suspect Arrested In Slaying of UCLA Student Brianna Kupfer

LOS ANGELES, CA — An intense manhunt ended Wednesday with the arrest of a man suspected of fatally stabbing a 24-year-old UCLA graduate student in the Hancock Park boutique furniture store where she worked.

Shawn Laval Smith, 31, was arrested shortly before noon in Pasadena, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Over the last 24 hours, the LAPD responded to dozens of sightings of Smith, a transient known to frequent a wide swath of Los Angeles County from Venice to Pasadena, according to Detective Meghan Aguilar.

Smith is suspected in the killing of Brianna Kupfer of Pacific Palisades, who was found dead inside Croft House in the 300 block of North La Brea Avenue at about 1:50 p.m. Thursday. The seemingly random attack rattled the city especially after police released video footage of the killer casually shopping along the Beverly corridor in the moments before and after the attack. Private donors and Los Angeles authorities offered a combined $250,000 reward for help bringing Kupfer's killer to justice.

Ultimately, Smith was arrested at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday near near Fair Oaks and Colorado Boulevard, according to the LAPD and Pasadena Police Department.

LAPD Lt. John Radke said Tuesday that Kupfer was alone in the store when she was attacked.

"At 1:36 p.m. in the afternoon, Brianna was working in the store all by herself," Radke said. "She sent a text to a friend letting her know that there was someone inside the location that was giving her a bad vibe. Regrettably, that person did not see the text immediately."

Her body was found in the store by a customer about 15 minutes after the text was sent.

"We do believe that the suspect is homeless, and that's in part because he came on foot, he left on foot," Radke said. "He's carrying a backpack, which is consistent with homeless people carrying extra clothing with them and sleeping out on the streets. There's some additional information that I cannot share with you at this point."

Police said the attack appeared to be completely random, and the suspect did not know the victim. The suspect was seen on video surveillance after the attack, walking northbound in the alley to the rear of the crime scene.

Police released video Tuesday from a 7-Eleven store, showing the alleged stabber casually shopping 30 minutes after he killed Kupfer. He was also shopping at other stores before and after the killing, police said.

The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?vdUPi1wemums.

The killing set off a massive manhunt, with authorities offering $250,000 in reward money for information leading to Smith's capture. Private donations amassed $200,000, while Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz asked his council colleagues Tuesday to add $50,000 to the amount.

"We will find this vicious criminal, we will arrest him and we will get him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Koretz said.

"But we must fight for justice for her even though nothing will bring her back. Our mission and my objective is that the perpetrator that took away Brianna from her beloved parents, colleagues, friends and our community will be permanently locked away, constantly reminded of his horrible, ugly and senseless murder of an innocent young woman who had endless potential," he added.

Fox11 reported that Smith has an extensive criminal history dating back more than a decade, with more than a dozen arrests in three states.

According to the station, Smith had nearly a dozen arrests between 2010-2019 in Charleston, South Carolina, including a pending case for allegedly discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. His other arrests included allegations of trespassing, disorderly conduct, littering, marijuana possession and unlawful entry.

Smith was also suspected in a rash of bicycle thefts in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to Fox11. He also allegedly assaulted a police officer in San Mateo, California.

Smith was arrested in Los Angeles County in October of 2020 on an unspecified misdemeanor charge, according to jail records.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.