Jameelah Michl: Homeless woman who fatally shot Michael Latt also stalked and threatened film director

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Suspect Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, was taken into custody at the home of marketing executive Michael Latt after breaking into his Los Angeles home and shooting him multiple times, according to police.

According to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, Michl targeted Latt, 33, because he was friends with a woman she had been stalking.

Michl, equipped with a semi-automatic firearm, allegedly knocked on Latt's door on Monday night, November 27, and pushed her way inside when he opened the door.

Latt died after being transported to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

Hannah Lovingood, Latt's fiancee, was inside the home at the time of the incident.

Who is Jameelah Michl?

The Los Angeles Police Department reports that Jameelah Michl was homeless, and had been residing in a vehicle parked near Latt's residence.

She reportedly stayed at the scene of the crime after she shot Michael.

The vehicle, where she used to stay, has been confiscated by authorities as evidence.

Michl was accused of stalking a Hollywood film director before committing the crime, as per court documents cited by the Los Angeles Times.

She supposedly attacked Michael Latt on the night of November 27, because he was featured in a photograph posted in January alongside the film director she had been stalking at the Sundance Film Festival.

Michl suspected Latt was friends with the director she wanted to be romantically involved with.

Who is the Hollywood film director Michl was stalking?

The director, AV Rockwell, held a restraining order against Jameelah Michl, who had worked as an extra in her film ‘A Thousand And One’.

Following the film's production, Michl began stalking Rockwell, as per an 85-page restraining order request reviewed by the LA Times.

She sent a gift box to Rockwell, and when the director declined to pursue a personal relationship with Michl, the former extra began sending her distressing letters and notes, threatening self-harm, according to the court documents from June.

It is uncertain whether Rockwell is the stalking victim mentioned by prosecutors as part of Michl's arrest.

Rockwell and Latt were photographed together at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where Rockwell's film won the grand jury prize.

After the movie premiere, Michl wrote to a staff member, “Just wanted to ask you to pass on my congrats to AV!!!”

She talked about the gift she sent the director’s way, “I know l probably went a little overboard with the gift box I sent her LOL. But I’m hoping now after all the rave reviews and people telling her how much the film meant to them that she sees why I went all out and knows how incredible she is.”

As her proposal was spurned, the letters she continued sending became increasingly more concerning.

Michl sent one handwritten note in April that read, “My Glock is loaded as I write this. One pull of the trigger and I’ll be free.”

She even sent an email to the director later that month that said, "As you continue to bask in the glory of A Thousand and One, l want you to remember, and not forget all the hell that people went through to help bring your masterpiece to the screen."

What did authorities say about the crime?

District Attorney George Gascon said, “Our hearts ache for the loss of a passionate advocate who believed in the principles of justice and equity within our criminal legal system. It is devastating to see a life cut short, especially one dedicated to fighting for a more just society.”

He concluded, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victim, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served for this heinous crime."

Michael Latt was the child of Hollywood film producers David Latt and Michelle Satter and was born into the entertainment industry.

Latt was the CEO and founder of Lead With Love, a company that aimed to amplify the voices and work of Black creatives and other underrepresented communities.

Additionally, he provided communication and marketing consultation services to prominent firms like Netflix, Warner Bros Pictures, and Annapurna Pictures.

His assailant, Jameelah Michl was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree residential burglary and held on a $3 million bail.