Michael Latt, advocate and consultant in Hollywood, dies in targeted home invasion

LOS ANGELES — Michael Latt, a high-profile entertainment marketing consultant, died Monday after a woman who had been stalking and threatening his film director friend fatally shot him inside his Los Angeles home, prosecutors said Thursday.

The slaying sent shockwaves through Hollywood as the suspect faces charges of murder and burglary. Latt, 33, had worked on projects with filmmakers including Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay, as well as rapper and actor Common.

He was pronounced dead Monday at a hospital.

Prosecutors allege that suspect Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, knocked on his home's door and forced herself inside once it was open. She had sought out Latt's home "after she targeted him for being friends with a woman she had been stalking," the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Thursday. She allegedly fired at him with a semi-automatic handgun.

Woman suspected of killing Michael Latt had a restraining order against her

The suspect previously had a restraining order filed against her by a friend of Latt's, film director A.V. Rockwell, who said in court filings that Michl worked as an extra in one of her films, “A Thousand And One.” After production concluded, Michl began to stalk Rockwell, the director claimed in a June application for the order.

Rockwell said after she did not respond to Michl's overtures for a personal relationship, the woman hand-delivered alarming letters to the director’s home threatening self-harm.

“My Glock is loaded as I write this,” Michl wrote in one letter, according to the court filings. “One pull of the trigger and I’ll be free.”

Rockwell was not at Latt’s house when he was shot, authorities said.

Rockwell got the restraining order reissued on numerous occasions, according to court documents. A representative for Rockwell did not immediately respond to an email Thursday seeking comment from the director.

Michl's arraignment has been continued to Dec. 15, so she has not yet entered a plea, and prosecutors are seeking $3 million bail. If convicted, she could face a sentence of life in prison. Michl will be represented by a public defender, though one had not yet been assigned to her case, the public defender's office said.

Detectives seized Michl's vehicle, which she had been living in, as evidence. She stayed at the scene and was taken into custody. Officials have not released details about the alleged stalking.

More:Shane MacGowan, The Pogues 'Fairytale of New York' singer, dies at 65

Family remembers Michael Latt for creating 'enduring change and galvanizing communities'

Latt's marketing firm, Lead with Love, focused on social impact, and he was inspired to start the business after working on Coogler's film "Fruitvale Station," about the 2009 fatal police shooting of Oscar Grant in Oakland, California, which starred Michael B. Jordan, and wanted to direct his efforts toward social justice movements.

He was born into a show business family: His mother, Michelle Satter, is one of the founding directors of the Sundance Institute's artists programs, where she has helped filmmakers such as Coogler and Quentin Tarantino early in their careers. His father, David Latt, is a film producer, and his brother is an agent.

Latt had also worked at the Sundance Institute, which issued a statement on behalf of his family.

"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 said. "Michael will never be forgotten and his legacy and work will carry on through his family, his friends, and his colleagues."

Latt also worked with Common, on the Oscars campaign for the song "Letter to the Free," and with DuVernay. Together, they launched a concert prison tour and helped develop Common's nonprofit Imagine Justice.

"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," Latt told Forbes in 2019. "Through stories and art, we can showcase incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women's humanity, shine a light on injustices in the system and shift the narrative about how we talk about the issues."

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.