Suspect Identified In Slaying Of UCLA Student Brianna Kupfer

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man suspected of stabbing to death a 24-year-old UCLA graduate student in the Hancock Park boutique furniture store where she worked was seen on video casually shopping up and down the Beverly corridor in the minutes after the murder, Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Police Department identified the suspect in Thursday's killing as Shawn Laval Smith. Smith is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. People should not approach him and instead call 911 if he is seen, police said.

Smith has been in Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Covina, San Diego, San Francisco and several other locations around Southern California, police said.

At an emotional press conference Tuesday, the Los Angeles city leaders vowed to catch the man who killed Brianna Kupfer, of Pacific Palisades, on Thursday afternoon in what police said appears to be a random attack. The police department released video footage of the suspect shopping at 7-Eleven store within minutes of Kupfer's killing.

"The tragic murder of Brianna Kupfer in Hancock Park has shaken and shocked our community to its core," said Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz.

Noting he has a daughter near Kupfer's age, Koretz said he could only imagine the pain her family is enduring. To help catch the man who killed her, Koretz asked city leaders Tuesday to add $50,000 to the more than $200,000 from private donations raised for a reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the killer.

Kupfer was found dead inside Croft House in the 300 block of North La Brea Avenue about 1:50 p.m., police said. She died at the scene.

Kupfer, who was studying design, was working alone at the time of the attack.

"... At 1:36 p.m. in the afternoon, Brianna was working in the store all by herself. 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," Lt. John Radke said.

Kupfer's body was found in the store by a customer about 15 minutes after the text was sent. According to police, Kupfer didn't know her attacker, and the suspect randomly walked into the store. He stabbed her and fled the scene through the back door, police said.

"The suspect was last seen on video surveillance, northbound in the alley to the rear of the crime scene," police said in a written statement.

According to police, he was seen shopping at a number of other stores on La Brea Avenue before and after killing Kupfer.

"This individual responsible for this vicious, senseless and brutal crime walks amongst us. I am convinced of that," Moore said. "I am convinced of it because of the reports of his activities prior to and in the aftermath of this brutal homicide, where he visited businesses up and down La Brea and on the Beverly corridor as well. Businesses large and small."

It's an image that rattled the community.

"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."

The suspect is believed to be homeless and was described as having a thin build and short dreadlocks, according to police. He was wearing a dark hoodie, sunglasses, a white painters-style mask, dark skinny jeans and dark shoes. He was carrying a dark backpack.

"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."

Anyone with information about the suspect or the crime is asked to contact West Bureau homicide investigators at 213-382-9470, 877-LAPD-247, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

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