Minnesota Officials Speak Out about Death of Renee Nicole Good

She wasn't a suspect. She wasn't armed. She was there to observe. But in the chaos of an ICE operation, Renee Nicole Good took a federal bullet, and now officials are demanding answers.

Renee Nicole Good, 37, had just dropped her six-year-old son off at school. The snow-covered streets of Minneapolis should have led her home. Instead, they led her into the crossfire of a deadly federal operation that has left an entire state shaken.

She died on the morning of January 7, 2026, fatally shot during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid, which local lawmakers are now branding a violent, unjustifiable disaster.

'ICE Must Be Held Accountable': Ilhan Omar Speaks Out

Among the first to demand justice was Representative Ilhan Omar (D–Minn.), who confirmed that Good had been serving as a legal observer at the time of the shooting. Her words were as fierce as they were heartbreaking.

"ICE's actions today were unconscionable and reprehensible," Omar stated. "I am beyond outraged that their reckless, callous actions led to the killing of a legal observer in Minneapolis. My heart breaks for the victim's family, who will have to forever live with the pain caused by the Trump Administration's reckless and deadly actions."

Omar described Good's death as part of a broader campaign of fear and brutality. "This is not law enforcement," she added. "It is state violence. It is simply indefensible, and ICE must be held accountable. That must include a full, comprehensive investigation and legal action against the agency."

'She Was Out Caring for Her Neighbors': City and State in Mourning

The Minneapolis City Council issued a public statement mourning Good's death and condemning the federal government's role.

"Renee was a resident of our city who was out caring for her neighbors this morning, and her life was taken today at the hands of the federal government," the statement read.

Governor Tim Walz also dismissed Homeland Security's version of events, which claimed that Good had tried to use her vehicle as a weapon.

"I've seen the video. Don't believe this propaganda machine," Walz wrote on social media. "The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice."

A Mother, a Witness, and a Legal Observer

Good had recently relocated from Kansas City, Missouri, to begin a new chapter with her partner and young son. Her ex-husband, who requested anonymity to protect their child, said she had just completed the school drop-off when they came across ICE agents.

As a legal observer, Good was part of a long tradition of civilian witnesses trained to monitor police and government activity, a role rooted in the activism of the Black Panthers and echoed in international conflict zones like Northern Ireland during The Troubles.

Her final moments, captured in bystander footage now circulating nationwide, have turned her death into a symbol of state aggression and federal overreach. The chaotic federal operation took place in the city's Powderhorn Park neighborhood.

1St Eyewitness Account

ICE agents had surrounded a maroon Honda Pilot that had stopped in the middle of the street. A bystander's shocking video footage captured the terrifying sequence of events: one officer attempts to open the driver's door while another draws his weapon.

In a matter of seconds, Good appears to inch the car forward, toward the agent. He sidesteps, raises his firearm, and fires at least three shots into the vehicle. The SUV jerks forward and crashes into a white sedan, lurching to a lifeless stop.

Screams Echo Through the Street as a Woman Films the Horror

As gunfire erupts, a woman behind the camera screams in horror. "No! No! What the [expletive]? What the [expletive] did you do? You're [expletive] criminals!" she shouts, her voice trembling with rage and disbelief.

She continues to condemn the officers, shouting "You! Shame!" again and again as neighbors begin pouring out into the street. When she attempts to rush toward the vehicle, perhaps to help, agents immediately form a wall.

"Step back! Step back!" an officer yells.

"Dude, you shot her! I'm trying to help!" the woman pleads.

Another agent responds with a firm "No!", prompting her to scream back, "No! You [expletive] shot someone in the [expletive] face! Do you have a conscience?"

The camera shakes as she continues yelling, "Don't let the murderer leave! Don't let the murderer leave!"

Her voice rings out long after the agents begin pulling away. "This is not okay! This is not okay!" she repeats, as grief and fury ripple through the block.

Second Eyewitness Account

In a separate heart-wrenching video, a man identifying himself as a physician approaches the scene and offers to check Good's pulse.

"Can I check her pulse?" he asks. An ICE agent immediately shouts him down: "No! Back off! Now!" The doctor protests, stating, "I'm a physician."

"I don't care!" the agent snarls. Another officer, more composed, steps forward. "We got the ambulance coming. I get it. Please give us a second," he says, adding, "We have our own medics."

But the crowd isn't convinced. A woman shouts back, "Where are they? Where are they?" She tells the agents she no longer trusts them after what they just did to her neighbor.

The killing has triggered renewed scrutiny of ICE's aggressive tactics and reignited questions about federal authority versus community safety. Residents are now demanding answers and accountability.

How The Incident Began

As reported by KARE 11, the incident occurred at the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue. 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."

Another 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.

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

Victim Identified as Local Poet and Mother

The woman was later identified as Renee Nicole Good, 37. Her family confirmed her identity. The Minneapolis City Council issued a public statement mourning her death:

Renee was a resident of our city who was out caring for her neighbors this morning and her life was taken today at the hands of the federal government. Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.."

On Instagram, Good described herself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a poet, a writer, a wife, and a mother originally from Colorado. She also described herself as a guitar player.

Her creative work gained recognition in 2020, when she received Old Dominion University's undergraduate poetry prize for her piece "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," while studying creative writing in Norfolk, Virginia.

In the years that followed, she settled in Minneapolis, where she lived just a few blocks from the site of the fatal shooting.

Family, Neighbors Struggle to Process Sudden Loss

According to the Star Tribune, Good's mother, Donna Ganger, said the family had been notified of her death late Wednesday morning. After hearing some of the details surrounding the shooting, Ganger expressed disbelief and heartbreak. "That's so stupid," she said. "She was probably terrified."

Ganger also stated that her daughter had no involvement with any protest activity or confrontations with federal agents. She described Good as one of the kindest people she’d ever known.

"She was extremely compassionate. She's taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being," Ganger explained.

Ganger's daughter had previously been married to Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who died in 2023 at the age of 36. The two shared a child, now six years old.

Macklin's father, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., said he was shocked to learn of Good's death and expressed concern for his grandson's future. "There’s nobody else in his life," he said. "I'll drive. I'll fly. To come and get my grandchild."

In the Powderhorn Park neighborhood, residents mourned alongside friends and family. Neighbors salted the sidewalks to manage the heavy foot traffic from mourners. While many declined to speak about the tragedy, Mary Radford, 27, who lived next door to Good, shared emotional memories of the family.

Radford said she got home around 7 p.m. and found the neighborhood crowded with people who had come to grieve. She spoke warmly of the Good family, describing them as kind and close-knit.

Good's young son, Radford noted, was especially sweet and loved playing outside. He was particularly fond of her dog, often running over to pet and play with her whenever they passed by.

Though the Goods had moved in only recently, Radford reflected on meaningful conversations and a warm neighborly bond.

"We're gonna miss seeing them — forever," Radford said. "It is so painful to think about how he's gonna fare in his life. And I just can't even imagine what that family is going through." Fighting back tears, she added, "I wish I could have known her more."

The ICE shooting that claimed Good's life isn't the only federal operation drawing scrutiny. In a separate incident last year, armed ICE agents carried out a controversial arrest in Massachusetts.