The founder of a social justice charity that worked with rapper Common was shot and killed by a homeless burglar in his Los Angeles home, police said.
Michael Latt, who founded the charity Lead with Love, was found critically injured at his Mid-City home Monday night 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 said was her primary residence, was also used as evidence.
One of Latt’s neighbors told ABC that he lived in the home with his girlfriend and their pets.
Michael Latt, founder of the charity Lead with Love, was fatally shot by a burglar in his Los Angeles home on Monday
The homeless woman reportedly remained at the scene after the shooting
Area residents claimed police said the victim and suspect knew each other, but that information remained unconfirmed and it was not clear what led to the shooting.
Latt is the son of film producer Jonathan Latt and Michelle Satter, the founding executive director of the Sundance Institute, which is behind the famed film festival.
Satter wrote on “We celebrate his legacy, his love and his compassion.”
Latt’s charity said its aim is to “use the power of art to inspire change, bring love, hope and healing to communities and empower others”.
The charity organized a “Hope & Redemption Tour” in 2017, during which Common performed for inmates in over 10 prisons in California.
The activist also helped organize Martin Luther King Jr. Day events at Riverside Church in Harlem, which featured speakers such as Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan.
He was also photographed with Common at a rally in Kentucky in 2020 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 can be seen together at a rally in Kentucky in 2020 for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police
Latt is the son of Michelle Satter, founding director of the Sundance Institute. They are pictured with author Lena Waithe at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival
In his last post on Monday, he wrote: “It’s been a great few days since flying back from Japan.” “Surrounded by family and friends on this long holiday weekend, it’s been nothing but relaxing, joyful and rejuvenating times before a long week.”
Anyone with information about Latt’s murder is asked to call West Bureau Homicide Investigations at 213-382-9470.
The deadly home invasion follows a series of similar incidents in LA.
Earlier this month, surveillance cameras captured the moment homeowner Vince Ricci returned home after two gunmen jumped his fence and attempted to force their way into his home.
In a quick attempt to defend himself, Ricci’s wife, five-month-old baby and nanny grabbed his gun and began 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 broken into in June and his car was broken into the month before.
Back in October, Oscar-winning hairdresser Beatrice De Alba, 59, shot and killed a would-be intruder in her Hollywood Hills mansion.
She told police she fired her gun after a man in his 30s allegedly tried to enter her $1.7 million home from the backyard, claiming he had been injured and needed help.
The Democratic-run city saw a spike in robberies following the defund movement. A lack of law enforcement resources has led to an exodus of residents to Republican states like Texas and Florida.
According to Los Angeles crime statistics, murders have decreased this year, but robberies have increased significantly since last year.
The Golden State’s overall crime rate has risen sharply recently as flash mobs and looters loot stores.
Increases in homelessness and drug addiction have also plagued the area and contributed to an increase in crime.