Brianna Kupfer’s family and friends gather for what would have been the slain woman’s 25th birthday


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Family and friends of Brianna Kupfer hosted a charity run for the slain UCLA grad student on Saturday, nearly three months after police say a homeless man walked into the Los Angeles furniture store where she was working alone and fatally stabbed her in a “random” attack. 

People gathered at the Brentwood school track to run, do yoga, and dance on what would have been Kupfer’s 25th birthday. Proceeds from the event will go to the newly established Brianna Kupfer Foundation, which will help causes that she cared about. 

“We will be championing causes dear to Brianna, such as environmental and social justice issues, as well as honoring victims like Brianna through the protection of women and social betterment,” Mikaela Kupfer, Brianna’s sister, wrote on the foundation’s website. 

Kupfer, a University of Miami graduate who was pursuing a master’s degree in architectural design at UCLA, grew up in the Pacific Palisades with Mikaela, her two brothers, and her parents. 

BRIANNA KUPFER VIGIL: UCLA STUDENT REMEMBERED AS ‘BRIGHTEST PART OF ANYONE’S DAY’ AT LARGE VIGIL

“She was a kind soul and always was trying to make herself better and everything around her better,” Todd Kupfer, her father, previously told Fox News Digital. “She cared about people.”

Over 100 people gathered at the memorial for Kupfer.
(FOX 11 Los Angeles)

Kupfer was working alone at Croft House in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles when 31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith entered the luxury furniture store and stabbed her on the afternoon of Jan. 13, according to police. 

BRIANNA KUPFER’S ALLEGED KILLER SHAWN SMITH ONCE BIT A COP, POLICE REPORT SAYS

Smith fled through the store’s backdoor but was arrested the next week after police were tipped off by someone who recognized Smith from photos distributed by the LAPD. 

He was charged with murder and is being held on a $2 million bail. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The 31-year-old has a lengthy criminal history and was out on a $50,000 bond for allegedly shooting a flare gun into someone’s car with a toddler inside in South Carolina three years ago. 

He was charged with discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle, but the case is still pending due to a 1,330-case COVID-19 backlog in Charleston County. 

Fox News’s Michael Ruiz and Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report. 



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *