Relatives of Woman Killed by ICE Agent Break Silence with Unexpected Take on the Incident

She should have minded her own business," a relative said.

Relatives of a woman killed during a tense immigration operation in Minneapolis are offering sharply different reactions to her death. Her death complicates the public outrage, official defenses, and political narratives already surrounding the case.

The woman now identified as Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, while sitting inside her SUV as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carried out enforcement activity in Minneapolis.

Authorities said the ICE agent involved fired after fearing for his life, claiming Good appeared to accelerate her vehicle toward him. The shooting immediately sparked street protests and condemnation from Minnesota lawmakers, while President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security defended the agent's actions, citing perceived imminent danger.

Who She Was and Why She Was There

According to relatives, Renee was a mother of three and had no direct involvement with immigration enforcement or ICE operations. Her presence at the scene, however, has become a central, and controversial, part of the story.

Now, her former brother-in-law, Joseph Macklin, told the Daily Mail on Wednesday night that she placed herself in harm's way.

"She had no reason to be there, in my opinion," he said. "It had nothing to do with her. She shouldn't have been in the way. She had nothing to do with the ICE agents or immigration, so she shouldn't have been there."

Joseph said Renee shared a six-year-old son with his brother, Air Force veteran Tim Macklin Jr., who died in 2023. The former brother-in-law added that her older two children from a previous relationship are in the custody of their father.

Joseph further revealed that he believed Renee lived in Oregon and thought she was visiting family in Kansas at the time.

Instead, she ended up amid protests against ICE's crackdown in Minneapolis. "She was very open about her opinions and politics, leaning to the left," he said.

An Unexpected Take from the Family

Although Joseph described her as politically outspoken, he challenged the Trump administration's narrative that she attempted to strike the agent with her vehicle.

"I just watched the video and was pretty astonished that the agent definitely wasn't in the right," Joseph said.

"She did just drive off but he wasn't in front of her. It ain't like she tried to run him over, from the video I seen. She was just trying to get away, it looked like [sic]," he added.

A Grandfather's Grief

While Joseph questioned why his former sister-in-law was present, his father and Renee's former father-in-law, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., offered a starkly different assessment.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Timmy Sr. described the shooting as murder. "It is horrible, it's murder. Everybody is terribly shocked right now," he said.

He continued, "She was a good, outgoing person. I didn't agree with a lot of her ways, but it's really sad to see these things happen." His focus has now shifted entirely to his grandson, who lost both parents within two years. "There's nobody else in his life. I'll drive. I'll fly. To come and get my grandchild," he said.

Timmy Sr. noted that his former daughter-in-law regularly brought his grandson to visit family several times a year. He also emphasized that his "main concern right now is getting my grandchild." Both Joseph and his father said they learned of Good's death on Wednesday evening and were stunned by the news.

As investigations continue and protests persist, the case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement and use of force, raising unresolved questions about how a woman with no formal role in the confrontation ended up dead.

As questions mounted following relatives' sharply divided reactions and federal officials' defense of the shooting, a clearer and more intimate picture of Renee began to emerge, one defined less by politics or protest and more by the life she lived and the people she left behind.

Renee's family is reeling in grief after she was fatally shot and killed in Minneapolis. Renee, originally from Colorado Springs, was killed just blocks from her home — a place she had recently moved into with her partner.

Bloodied Widow Breaks Down After Brutal Shooting

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, a woman identified as Renee's wife was seen in a state of utter devastation. Covered in blood, she reportedly cried out, "They shot her in the head. I have a 6-year-old in school." Distraught and panicked, she added, "I made her come down here, [sic] it's my fault. They just shot my wife."

Her harrowing words echoed through the neighborhood as bystanders looked on, stunned by the sudden burst of violence that claimed a life and shattered a family.

A Poet, a Mother, a Light: Victim's Mother Remembers Kind Daughter

Renee's mother, Donna Ganger, confirmed her daughter's identity and shared heartfelt memories of who Renee was beyond the headlines. "Renee was one of the kindest people I've ever known," she said. "She was extremely compassionate. She's taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and [sic] affectionate. She was an amazing human being."

"She was probably terrified," Donna added of her daughter's killing. She also clarified that Good was never a part of any protest affiliations against ICE agents.

A passionate creative, Renee once described herself on social media as a "poet and writer and wife and mom and [expletive] guitar strummer from Colorado; experiencing Minneapolis, MN."

In 2020, while studying creative writing at Old Dominion University, she received the university's undergraduate poetry prize for her work titled "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs." She also co-hosted a podcast with her then-husband, the late Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who passed away in 2023 at just 36 years old.

Vigil Defies Official Narrative

At an evening vigil, community leaders and mourners gathered to honor Renee's life. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN, shared, "She was peaceful, she did the right thing."

Another speaker pushed back against official narratives, saying Renee was present on Portland Avenue on Wednesday "to watch the terrorists," rejecting the notion that she posed a threat.

The tragedy has left a ripple of heartbreak in its wake for a family newly settled into their neighborhood, for a mother taken too soon, and for a little boy whose world has been turned upside down.

As the investigation continues, the community remains steadfast in remembering Renee not for the way her life ended, but for the warmth, creativity, and compassion she brought to those who knew her. "She died because she loved her neighbors," Hussein said, a sentiment now etched into the hearts of all who mourn her.

ICE Operation Ends in Deadly Gunfire

As reported by KARE 11, the incident occurred at the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE agents were conducting "targeted operations" when they were allegedly confronted by individuals attempting to interfere.

DHS spokesperson and assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said a woman "weaponized her vehicle" and tried to run over officers. She added:

"An ICE officer fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow officers and the lives of the public, fired defensive shots, used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers. The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. Thankfully, the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries."

A video shared online shows a burgundy SUV surrounded by law enforcement agents. Gunshots are heard before the vehicle crashes into a light pole. A bullet hole is visible in the driver's side windshield. Two parked cars appear to have been struck.

A witness told the same news outlet that the woman seemed to be fleeing from ICE agents when she was shot. The scene quickly filled with law enforcement and shocked neighbors.

Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh stated on X that he received reports of a doctor being prevented by federal agents from administering lifesaving CPR.

Omar, along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, several city council members, and faith leaders, visited the scene shortly after the shooting.

As investigators work to piece together what unfolded on that Minneapolis street, Renee's death remains marked by unresolved questions, competing narratives, and a family divided in grief.

What endures most, however, is the human cost of the violence, a mother lost, a child left without parents, and a community struggling to reconcile how an encounter meant to enforce the law ended in a life cut short.