Residents of Los Angeles were left horrified last week after a 24-year-old graduate student was brutally stabbed to death in an upscale furniture store where she worked.
According to the New York Post, several days after the violent crime — and in conjunction with a $250,000 reward for information leading to his arrest — the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) finally revealed the identity of their primary suspect: 31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith.
At the time, police warned the public that Smith was “armed and dangerous.”
31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith has been identified in connection with the murder of Brianna Kupfer, which occurred in the 300 block of North La Brea Avenue on January 13, 2022. He should be considered armed and dangerous. If seen do not approach, call 911. pic.twitter.com/jZlESB9l9r
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 19, 2022
Located and arrested
According to CBS News, Smith, who is believed to be homeless, was apprehended less than 24 hours later by police in Pasadena.
We can confirm, Shawn Laval Smith, the suspect responsible for the murder of Brianna Kupfer is in custody, after being located and detained by Pasadena PD around 11:50am this morning in the area of Fair Oaks and Colorado Blvd.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 19, 2022
Twenty-four-year-old Brianna Kupfer was studying architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and was reportedly working alone in the Croft House furniture store when Smith entered the establishment last week. Kupfer reportedly sent a text message to a friend revealing that she had got a “bad vibe” from the man.
Kupfer was later found dead in the store by a customer.
Long rap sheet
According to Fox News, Smith, for his part, has quite the criminal record, including more than a dozen arrests in three states dating back to at least 2010.
At the time of the murder, Smith was out on a $50,000 bond and awaiting trial in South Carolina in relation to a 2019 road rage incident during which he discharged a firearm into a vehicle occupied by an adult male and his young son.
Smith is also said to be facing potential charges for an incident in San Mateo, California, that involved shoplifting and assaulting a police officer.
Hopefully, now that Smith has been hit with a murder charge, his career as a criminal has been permanently cut short.
