Photo: Getty Images North America
The woman who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday (January 7) has been identified.
Video viewed by millions of people shows the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an unidentified ICE agent. City and state leaders have denounced Good's shooting as unjustified, while federal authorities claim the agent acted in self-defense.
"What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed. "They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle."
Good's mother, Donna Ganger, said her daughter was living in Minneapolis with her partner and had "taken care of people all of her life."
“She was loving, forgiving, and affectionate,” Ganger said. “She was an amazing human being.”
Good was the mother of a 6-year-old child, according to Timmy Ray Macklin, the father of Good’s former husband. A GoFundMe campaign says donations will support Good’s wife and son and describes her as “pure sunshine, pure love.”
On social media, Good described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and (expletive) guitar strummer from Colorado” who was “experiencing Minneapolis.” A LinkedIn profile appearing to belong to Good lists her work in real estate investment, property management, and renovation.
According to the Minneapolis City Council, Good "was out caring for her neighbors" amid the immigration enforcement operation when the shooting unfolded. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar described Good as a “legal observer,” a role often used by activists to document law enforcement actions.
Ganger disputed claims that her daughter was involved in protests obstructing ICE agents, saying Good was not “part of anything like that at all” and was “probably terrified.”
Hours after the shooting, roughly 1,000 people gathered in freezing temperatures for a vigil near the site, chanting, “Say her name! Renee Good!”
“We’re here today because this is a profound tragedy for Renee and her loved ones and her family,” Minnesota State Rep. Aisha Gomez said in a statement.
Mayor Jacob Frey expressed condolences to Good’s family, saying, “There are no words that can make this moment better. Our hearts are with you.”
Other politicians condemned Good's killing, including Rep. Ayana Pressley, who called the incident "horrific and unacceptable."
"ICE just murdered a U.S. citizen," Rep. Jasmine Crockett said. "This violence is the direct result of racist rhetoric coming from Donald Trump and his allies. This is dangerous state-sanctioned violence. We will not stay silent while unqualified masked federal agents terrorize our communities."
In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Noem "a stone-cold liar who has zero credibility."
"There is nothing to suggest the shooting of an unarmed woman in Minneapolis was justified. This heinous killing must be criminally investigated to the full extent of the law," Jeffries said.
Celebrities also denounced ICE's actions in Minneapolis. The Bear star Ayo Edebiri took to Instagram to share a photo of Good's glovebox, which was filled with toys. Kerry Washington said of the footage of the tragedy was "extremely heartbreaking and difficult to watch."
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