TMZ Live

An ex-neighbor of the California man accused of plotting a local mass shooting in a coordinated attack with the Wisconsin school shooter is speaking out ... telling TMZ about the chilling, ominous energy he always carried.

The woman, choosing to remain anonymous, talked to us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, revealing that during the 5 to 6 years she lived near 20-year-old Alexander Paffendorf, he exhibited seriously creepy behavior -- never talking, avoiding eye contact, always wearing his hood up, and other unsettling anti-social habits.

Catch the video, because she dives into the specific moments when Paffendorf made her feel super uncomfortable around their apartment complex -- and it’s spine-chilling.

Shaquille O'Neal is opening up on his decision to go above and beyond to help the youth every holiday season ... admitting he used to be a "high-level juvenile delinquent," but is doing everything in his power to make his mama proud now.

The four-time NBA champion chopped it up with Charles and Babcock on "TMZ Live" after another successful annual "Shaq-A-Claus" event ... where he handed out tons of toys, clothes, tech and food to more than a thousand youngins in Georgia.

Shaq credits his mother -- Lucille O'Neal -- for coming up with the idea for the event ... and considering he wasn't on his best behavior growing up, he's making amends with his actions in the present.

Admiration for the man suspected of murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO is not just perverse ... it's dangerous, Michael Moynihan tells TMZ.

The renowned journalist told "TMZ Live" ... the level of joy and satisfaction a portion of the country felt when Brian Thompson was killed last week is deeply disturbing ... but not nearly as grotesque as people fawning over Luigi Mangione.

MM contends our society is clearly in a "sick place" ... and most of the people who see Mangione as a folk hero are too young -- and uninformed -- to really consider the twisted logic of the heinous crime.

Luigi Mangione, who is suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may have been a big fan of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski's manifesto ... but didn't let on to his friends about this.

We caught up with RJ Martin, a pal of Mangione's, on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... where he recounted reading Kaczynski's manifesto, also known as 'Industrial Society and Its Future,' in their book club a couple years ago.

As RJ put it ... he and another member "half-jokingly" suggested they give the controversial work a go for one of their reads -- but noted most members of the club struggled to get through the first couple chapters.

A former top FBI profiler is breaking down Luigi Mangione’s arrest today -- the prime person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson  ... and he's also pointing out all the "sloppy" blunders made along the way by the person who did the shooting -- Mangione has not been charged in the case.

James Fitzgerald, an ex-FBI profiler who served in NYC during the late '80s and '90s, tells TMZ that the alleged killer -- who he makes clear is innocent until proven guilty -- was no criminal mastermind ... he was just someone laser-focused on completing a mission.

Fitzgerald didn’t hold back, calling out the missteps of whoever committed the murder -- like the "amateur" bullet engravings, using the wrong kind of firearm -- and he comments on key evidence allegedly found in Mangione's possession, asking why it wasn't ditched.

The suspect who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson handled his gun proficiently during Wednesday's shooting -- something that's painfully clear, according to a former FBI agent.

Jennifer Coffindaffer spoke with us on "TMZ Live" Friday and broke down the suspect's expertise -- pointing out how he used a silencer on the gun, fully aware it could cause jams, and cleared it like a pro without missing a beat when it did.

Watch the video ... Coffindaffer digs into the suspect’s firearm skills and breaks down what the 3 distinct shots reveal about the man behind the trigger.

Taylor Lorenz -- a controversial journalist formerly of the Washington Post -- is clarifying some of her comments about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and she says his brutal killing isn't the real tragedy here.

Taylor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked her what she meant by two social media posts that have gotten a lot of attention in the wake of Thompson's killing ... including one that lots of folks interpreted as her calling for more violence against healthcare executives.

She says she wasn't calling for murder when she shared a photo of the Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck above a post about BCBS announcing it wouldn't cover anesthesia for the entirety of some surgeries.

Hannah Kobayashi's aunt says the family is unsure what exactly is happening with her, even though police say she crossed the border into Mexico.

Larie Pidgeon joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and she told us law enforcement is not showing them footage of Hannah leaving the United States.

Cops say Hannah was alone and she was traveling with her luggage when she crossed the border and there's been no evidence of human trafficking or any criminal activity ... but Larie's not ready to rule any of that out.

Sophie Rain says the $43 million she claims she grossed on OnlyFans is proof women and men don't have to film themselves having sex to make money on the platform ... 'cause she's still a virgin.

The super popular OnlyFans model joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and we asked her how she's been able to be so financially successful without putting porn on her page.

Sophie says it's a testament to her hard work and constant posting ... and she thinks marketing herself as a virgin is a big draw for men.

Victor Willis, who is best known for being a founding member of the Village People, is calling out the media for perpetuating the idea that "Y.M.C.A." is a gay anthem.

We caught up with the songwriter on "TMZ Live" Tuesday, where Victor elaborated on his feelings about his song's reputation and its longtime ties to the LGBTQ+ community.

As he put it ... he never intentionally wrote the song with the intention of it having a queer double entendre. While he has no problem with the LGBTQ+ community adopting the song, he's frustrated with the media for repeatedly perpetuating the idea that track was crafted in order to be a gay anthem.

Mark Geragos says he's confident he would have gotten Hunter Biden off scot-free in his tax evasion trial, but President Biden's son didn't want to put his family back in the spotlight ... so he entered a guilty plea.

Hunter's attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and we pressed him about his risky decision to have Hunter enter an "open plea" ... meaning there was no deal with prosecutors regarding sentencing.

Mark says he was going to win Hunter's case by flipping the government's argument in the Delaware gun trial on its head ... namely, that HB was so addled by drug use he could not have intentionally violated tax codes.

Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg is heavily disappointed in Drake but even more so, can NOT believe he has a team advising him to make all the wrong moves in his opinion!!!

Rosenberg hopped on "TMZ Live" with Harvey and Charles on Tuesday shortly after Drake's defamation lawsuit for Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" lyrics ... the unsavory parts about being a private pedo.

The veteran radio jock is unsure if Kendrick will get his sex offender bars off during his Super Bowl halftime set next year but what he does feel is Drake's been listening to all the wrong people.

John Shahidi, who manages the popular podcasters the Nelk Boys, is the driving force behind Donald Trump considering adding a modern twist to the White House Press Briefing room ... and he's telling us how this media landscape-altering idea came about.

John joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and explained why the President-elect seems responsive to his grand idea to credential bro podcasters for the administration's upcoming daily media briefings.

Trump hit the podcast circuit hard during the election and John says that helped him gain traction with younger generations of voters, particularly men, who consume podcasts as opposed to traditional news outlets ... like the ABCs, CNNs and NBCs of the world.

Cuba Gooding Jr. understands what Jussie Smollett went through in his ongoing ordeal with the justice system after the Illinois State Supreme Court's ruling today ... pointing out how celebrities endure sensationalized treatment in the public eye.

The controversial actor stopped by "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss Jussie Smollett's conviction being overturned today ... and, Cuba says Smollett's experience shows the climate we're in today.

Gooding adds he knows how tough it is to go into a courthouse as a celebrity ... pointing to the intense public reaction to every twist and turn of a trial before a final outcome is delivered, and in its aftermath.

French Montana's paying tribute to all the immigrant moms in America who sacrifice for their children ... telling his story in his new documentary -- but, he's really shining a light on his own mom and her struggle.

The rapper stopped by "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss his documentary "The French Montana Story: For Khadija" -- released on Paramount+ yesterday -- and, he says it really focuses on immigrants coming to the U.S.A. to forge better lives for themselves.

Montana says he came to this country from Morocco at 13 years old with his mom, dad and siblings. The family overstayed their visas ... and, after his dad started several failed small business, the family was in deep trouble.