A Los Angeles social justice advocate was killed on Monday when a homeless woman, who lived out of her car, broke into his home and shot him.
Michael Latt, 33, the founder of the social justice group “Lead With Love” was the victim of a “tragic act of violence” after he was found suffering from a gunshot wound before being transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect, identified as Jameelah Elena Michl, broke into the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood home around 6 p.m., the LAPD announced in a statement.
Michl, 36, remained on the scene and was taken into LAPD custody while she was standing outside the home.
A motive behind the shooting and whether Latt and Michl remains unknown but is being treated as a random act of violence, according to the LA Times, citing police sources.
Michl was arrested and booked on a murder charge and is being held on a $3 million bail, as her vehicle was booked as evidence.
Latt’s family paid tribute on his Instagram page, saying he spent his career helping others, especially from minority groups.
“Our beloved son, brother, grandson, fiancé Michael Latt, fell victim to a tragic act of violence Monday night,” the post read alongside a photo of Latt, his brother and his parents. “Our family, Michael’s extraordinary friends and colleagues are shattered by the profound grief of losing our Michael.”
“He devoted his career to supporting others, championing organizations that raised up women and artists of color, along with leveraging storytelling, art and various mediums to create enduring change and instill communities with hope, love and inspiration. Michael will never be forgotten and we can all carry on his legacy of love, compassion and fierce dedication to positive and lasting change.”
Latt’s neighbors didn’t hear the gunshots but remembered the activist as a sweet guy who lived with his partner.
“I’m heartbroken, I’m shocked,” said Avarie Shevin, Latt’s next-door neighbor told to KTLA. “I was looking out my window and saw a female standing in the walkway with her hands up and they took her into custody.”
“He is a super sweet guy,” Shevin said. “He and his girlfriend lived there with a dog and a cat. He’s just very mellow. I can’t wrap my brain around what could’ve happened that caused him to be shot and killed. I keep picturing his face and I cannot believe he has passed.”
Latt founded Lead With Love, a marketing consulting firm focused on elevating Black and other underrepresented entertainers in Hollywood.
He was photographed with rapper Common in 2020 at a rally in Kentucky for Breonna Taylor, the black EMT killed by police inside her own residence during a raid.