Highlights:
- Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 7.
- Federal authorities say the agent acted in self-defense; local leaders dispute that.
- Good was described by family as compassionate and deeply community-oriented.
- Hundreds gathered at vigils in Minneapolis to honor her life.
- Her death has become a national flashpoint over immigration enforcement.
Millions of Americans have now witnessed the moment an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7. The incident, captured on video and widely shared online, has ignited national outrage and deepened divisions over immigration enforcement and police use of force.
While federal authorities maintain that the agent acted in self-defense, city and state leaders have described the shooting as an unjustified attack. As investigations continue and tensions mount, many are seeking to understand who Renee Nicole Good was beyond the final moments of her life.
Good lived in Minneapolis with her partner and was widely described as a compassionate, caring person. Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Good had “taken care of people all her life.” She added, “She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”
Though most Americans had never heard Good’s name before Wednesday (7), her death quickly mobilized the community. Within hours of the shooting, hundreds gathered for a vigil in her honor, chanting repeatedly, “Say her name! Renee Good! Say her name! Renee Good!” The gathering underscored how deeply her death resonated in a city already uneasy about federal immigration operations.
According to the Star Tribune, Good was the mother of a 6-year-old child, citing Timmy Ray Macklin, the father of Good’s former husband. A GoFundMe campaign, which USA TODAY is working to verify, says funds will support Good’s wife and son “as they grapple with the devastating loss of their wife and mother.” The fundraiser describes Good as “pure sunshine, pure love.”
Good’s social media presence reflected her creative and warm personality. On Instagram, she described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and (expletive) guitar strummer from Colorado” who was “experiencing Minneapolis.”
Details about why Good was present at the immigration enforcement operation remain limited. The Minneapolis City Council said in a statement to NPR that Good “was out caring for her neighbors” when the confrontation occurred. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar described her as a “legal observer,” individuals who attend law enforcement actions to document and monitor official conduct.
However, Good’s mother pushed back against claims that her daughter was involved in activist activity. Ganger told the Star Tribune that Good was not “part of anything like that at all,” referring to protesters who have been obstructing ICE agents, and said her daughter “was probably terrified.”
A LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Good lists her as working in real estate investment, property management, and renovation.
On Wednesday night, about 1,000 people gathered in freezing temperatures at a vigil to honor Good’s life. “We’re here today because this is a profound tragedy for Renee and her loved ones and her family,” Minnesota State Rep. Aisha Gomez told the crowd. Community organizer Erin Stene said people would remain at the site “as long as they need to be.”
State Rep. Leigh Finke described Good as a “loved and celebrated community member, who has now been stripped from her family.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed condolences, saying, “There are no words that can make this moment better. Our hearts are with you.”
