Crime Suspect Identified in Fatal Stabbing of UCLA Student Brianna Kupfer, 24 More than $250,000 is being offered as a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the man suspected of fatally stabbing Brianna Kupfer in a Los Angeles furniture store last week By Vanessa Etienne Vanessa Etienne Vanessa Etienne is an Emerging Content Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 19, 2022 08:34AM EST Shawn Laval Smith. Photo: LAPD Headquarters Local authorities have identified a suspect in connection to the death of 24-year-old graduate student Brianna Kupfer, who was stabbed while working at a Los Angeles high-end furniture store last week. The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for Shawn Laval Smith, 31, who is considered "armed and dangerous" and likely traveling via public transportation across southern California. Anyone with information is urged to call 911 immediately. Police say Smith was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, sunglasses, a white N-95 mask, dark-colored skinny jeans, and dark-colored shoes. The suspect was also carrying a dark-colored backpack at the time of the attack, according to police. The reward for any information leading to an arrest now totals over $250,000 — with officials offering $50,000, combined with donations from Kupfer's home community in the Pacific Palisades. Woman, 24, Stabbed to Death While Working at Luxury L.A. Furniture Store in Random Daytime Attack Brianna Kupfer. Facebook Kupfer, of Pacific Palisades, was killed Thursday when the attacker entered the store Croft House on North La Brea Avenue and stabbed her, according to the LAPD. At a press conference held on Tuesday, authorities said that Kupfer had texted a friend shortly before she was killed. "At 1:36 p.m. in the afternoon, Brianna was working in this 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,' " said Lt. John Radtke of the LAPD's West Bureau Homicide division. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He continued, "Regrettably, that person did not see the text immediately. And at 1:50 p.m., a citizen who was coming into the store, a customer, found Brianna lying on the ground lifeless, covered in blood." The suspect fled through a back door after the attack, LAPD said. Prior to identifying Smith as a suspect, officials released surveillance footage Tuesday that allegedly showed Kupfer's attacker at a nearby 7-11 shortly after the murder occurred. Investigators believe the man to be homeless, saying that he "walked for miles" in all directions around the neighborhood where the stabbing took place, police said, adding that the attack is thought to be random with no motive involved. Text Reveals Slain UCLA Student Felt a 'Bad Vibe' from Person in the Store Shortly Before Being Attacked Kupfer was a graduate of both Brentwood High School in Los Angeles and the University of Miami, her family said in a statement to CBS Los Angeles. Her father told CBS Los Angeles that his daughter had been working on a degree in architectural design at UCLA. "I don't see us healing anytime soon," he said. "I would love to tell you that there's going to be a point we're going to be better, but I feel like it's going to be a big missing piece." For those with any helpful information on this case or suspect, call the LAPD24/7 at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or submit an anonymous tip through LAPD's form.