The founder of a social justice charity who collaborated with rapper Common was shot dead in his Los Angeles home by a homeless female intruder, according to police.
Michael Latt, the founder of the charity Lead with Love, was found seriously injured at his Mid-City home on Monday evening and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, has been charged with the 33-year-old’s murder and is being held on $3 million bail.
The homeless woman reportedly remained at the scene after the shooting. Her vehicle, which police say was her primary residence, was also taken into evidence.
One of Latt’s neighbors told ABC he lived in the house with his girlfriend and their pets.
Michael Latt, founder of the charity Lead with Love, was shot dead by a female intruder at his Los Angeles home on Monday.
The homeless woman reportedly remained at the scene after the shooting
Residents of the area claimed that police said the victim and suspect knew each other, but that information remains unconfirmed and it is not clear what led to the shooting.
Latt is the son of film producer Jonathan Latt and Michelle Satter, the founder and senior director of the Sundance Institute, which is behind the famed film festival.
Satter wrote on X: “Our beloved son Michael Latt was the victim of a tragic act of violence this week. Michael has dedicated his career to supporting artists, championing organizations that raised artists of color, and telling stories for lasting change. We celebrate his legacy, love and compassion.”
Latt’s charity said its aim was to “harness the power of art to create change, bring love, hope and healing to communities and empower others.”
The charity hosted a “Hope & Redemption Tour” with a Common artist in 2017 for inmates in more than 10 California prisons.
The activist also helped organize events for Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Riverside Church in Harlem, with speakers including Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan.
He was also photographed with Common at a 2020 rally in Kentucky for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police.
According to his social media, Latt had just returned from a trip to Japan.
Latt collaborated with rapper Common and are seen together at a 2020 rally in Kentucky for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police
Latt is the son of Michelle Satter, the founder and senior director of the Sundance Institute. They are pictured with writer Lena Waithe at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival
He wrote in his last post on Monday: ‘What an amazing few days since flying back from Japan. Surrounded by family and friends over this long holiday weekend, it was nothing but relaxing, joyful and restful times before a long week.”
Anyone with information about Latt’s murder is asked to contact West Bureau Homicide Investigators at 213-382-9470.
The fatal home invasion comes after a series of similar incidents in LA.
Earlier this month, security cameras captured the moment homeowner Vince Ricci returned home after two armed men jumped the fence and tried to enter his home.
In a quick attempt to defend themselves, his wife of five months and the babysitter in Ricci grabbed his gun and started a shootout with the intruders. As shots rained down, the two masked robbers scattered.
Ricci previously revealed that this was not the first time he had been targeted by criminals. His house was burglarized in June and his car the month before.
In October, Oscar-winning hairstylist Beatrice De Alba, 59, shot a would-be intruder at her Hollywood Hills mansion.
She told police she fired her gun after a man, reportedly in his 30s, broke into her $1.7 million home from the backyard, claiming he was injured and needed help.
Robberies in the Democratic-run city have increased as a result of the police movement. A lack of law enforcement resources has led to an exodus of residents to Republican states like Texas and Florida.
According to crime statistics in Los Angeles, the number of murders has decreased this year, but the number of robberies has increased significantly since last year.
Overall crime rates in the Golden State have soared recently as flash mobs and looters raid storefronts.
An increase in homelessness and drug addiction has also plagued the area and contributed to an increase in crime.