Michael Latt, a marketing consultant and social justice advocate with strong ties to Hollywood, died Monday after a woman entered his home and fired a bullet that struck him in the head, law enforcement sources told The Times.
Authorities believe the shooting was a random act of violence.
Police were contacted around 6 p.m. about a shooting at Latt’s residence in the 900 block of Alandele Avenue. Officers arrived to find him with a gunshot wound to his head. He was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.
A preliminary investigation found Latt was shot by a woman who had entered his home without his permission. The suspect, identified by police as Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene. Taken into custody by responding officers, she is being held in lieu of $3-million bail.
Michl was described by law enforcement as a person living in her vehicle, which was parked nearby and removed as evidence by police. Latt did not know his assailant, and initial information indicated she was not given access to the home, law enforcement sources told The Times.
Latt was the chief executive of Lead With Love, an entertainment marketing consulting firm he founded in 2019 with an emphasis on elevating Black creatives and other underrepresented voices in Hollywood. He was the son of film producer David Latt and Michelle Satter, the founding senior director at the Sundance Institute. His brother, Franklin Latt, is an agent at CAA.
Michael Latt, the 33-year-old CEO of Lead With Love and social justice advocate, was shot and killed in his home Monday in what police describe as a random act of violence.
(Michael Latt)
Satter shared the news Wednesday of Latt’s death on X: “Our beloved son Michael Latt fell victim to a tragic act of violence this week,” she wrote. “Michael devoted his career to supporting artists, championing organizations that raised up artists of color, & leveraged storytelling for enduring change. We celebrate his legacy, love & compassion.”
As news spread Wednesday of Latt’s death, hundreds of colleagues, friends and collaborators offered their condolences.
“Devastating loss — Michael was a shining beacon of selfless kindness and consistency,” actor Jesse Williams wrote on Latt’s final Instagram post.
The Sundance Institute, where Latt worked before and during his time at Lead With Love, issued a statement on behalf of the Latt family mourning his death.
“He dedicated his career to serving others, employing storytelling, art, and various mediums to create enduring change and galvanizing communities with hope, love, and inspiration,” the statement read. “Michael will never be forgotten and his legacy and work will carry on through his family, his friends, and his colleagues.”
After graduating from Chapman University in 2013 with a degree in public relations and advertising, Latt worked in entertainment marketing for several years. His work for Blackout for Human Rights, a social justice collective, led him to redirect the focus of his work to social justice activism.
“The moment I realized that I could use my skill set for social good, I decided to dedicate the rest of my career to helping others, empowering storytellers of color, and fighting injustice wherever it stands,” he told Forbes.
As the head of Lead With Love, Latt oversaw marketing campaigns featuring celebrities such as the musician Common and director Ryan Coogler. In 2020, the organization led a get-out-the-vote campaign in the lead-up to the November election. More recently, the organization led a campaign titled “Honoring Black Women” to promote the 2022 film “Till,” which told the story of Emmett Till, the Black 14-year-old who was lynched in 1955, and his mother, Mamie.
“He was the definitive ally — used every tool he had to elevate the voices and work of Black creatives,” writer Akilah Hughes, a friend of Latt’s, wrote on X.
