UCLA Student Texted Pal to Say She Felt a ‘Bad Vibe’ Before Furniture Store Stabbing

A 24-year-old UCLA student who was stabbed by a stranger in an L.A. furniture store last week had sent an ominous text to a friend shortly before the killing. Brianna Kupfer, who was working alone in the high-end store, messaged the friend around 1:36 p.m. saying that someone inside the store was giving her a “bad vibe,” police said. Fifteen minutes later, a customer found Kupfer lying on the floor dead and covered in blood, Lt. John Radtke said. Shawn Laval Smith, believed to be homeless, was identified as a suspect in Kupfer’s murder after officials released surveillance footage of him at a 7-11 shortly after the attack. The LAPD confirmed that Smith was arrested by Pasadena police and taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon. Kupfer was studying architectural design at UCLA.