JD Vance Speaks Out about Renee Nicole Good's Death

The second-in-command of the United States is making no apologies when it comes to the explosive fallout surrounding the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota. Instead of bowing to mounting public outrage, he is placing the blame elsewhere and not his mincing words.

On January 8, 2026, Vice President JD Vance issued a full-throated response to critics of the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, doubling down both online and at the White House podium.

In both, he flatly denied any wrongdoing by law enforcement and turned the spotlight onto what he called a radicalized movement.

Exploding on X

The online backlash erupted almost immediately after videos began circulating on Wednesday, showing an ICE agent firing into Good's vehicle as she attempted to drive away.

By the afternoon, the internet had become a battleground, with some blaming federal agents and others demanding accountability from protesters and activists.

One of the loudest voices was Jenin Younes, who describes herself as the National Legal Director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Posting on X, she stated that, as a former defense attorney, she had reviewed the footage and believed the agents had "instigated the confrontation."

She argued that even standard police officers lack the authority to use deadly force simply to prevent a suspect from escaping, and ICE agents, in her view, had even less. She ended her message with prayers for Good and her family.

But Vance was quick to respond. Reposting Younes' statement, he launched into a furious rebuttal, calling her claims "preposterous" and accusing her of twisting facts.

He said this was not some random stop, but rather a lawful intervention. Good, according to Vance, was actively obstructing an official operation. He dismissed Younes' attempt to draw a legal distinction between ICE and police and denied that the officer had fired his weapon to stop Good from fleeing.

Instead, in Vance's words, the ICE agent acted in self-defense after being struck by the car. He warned that this kind of rhetoric — painting federal agents as aggressors — would not be tolerated.

"A tragedy? Absolutely," Vance admitted. "But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with."

The Press Briefing

Later that day, the Vice President took his message to the White House press room, where he amped up his defense and took direct aim at major media outlets.

He singled out a CNN article titled "Outrage after ICE officer kills US citizen in Minneapolis," and accused the media of deliberately inflaming tensions and inciting public hatred toward law enforcement.

He went even further, claiming that the ICE agent who shot Good had previously been injured in another car-related incident just six months ago; allegedly dragged by a vehicle and left with 33 stitches in his leg.

"So, you think maybe he's a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?" Vance asked pointedly.

He also accused Good of interfering in a federal operation and tied her actions to a larger political movement.

According to Vance, she represented a wider network of people who have targeted ICE officers, doxed their personal information, and worked to undermine law enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration.

Calling their tactics "domestic terror techniques," Vance demanded that the press stop spreading what he labeled as falsehoods about the incident and urged them to report the story accurately and responsibly.

In his closing remarks, the Vice President reaffirmed his unwavering support for ICE and all federal law enforcement agencies.

Now you're probably wondering: who was the agent involved in this case? He has been identified as Jonathan E. Ross, a ten-year veteran of ICE's elite special response team. As new details surface, the portrait emerging is one of a man with a complicated history, both in and out of uniform.

For the first time, the agent's father has spoken out, passionately defending his son's actions, even as court records, property filings, and firsthand neighbor accounts paint a fuller and more controversial picture.

The 100-Yard Haul

Six months before Renee Nicole Good's tragic death, the officer was involved in a harrowing high-speed arrest that left him severely injured.

According to federal officials and court filings, he sustained serious injuries in June 2025 while attempting to arrest Roberto Carlos Muñoz, an undocumented immigrant with a disturbing criminal record.

Federal agents had cornered Muñoz outside his Bloomington, Minnesota, home on June 19. When he tried to flee, the ice agent and a colleague moved in, barking commands in both English and Spanish.

At first, Muñoz handed over documents. But when he refused to exit the vehicle, chaos erupted. He accelerated as Ross tried to open the door after smashing a rear window.

The agent's arm became trapped, and he was dragged for 100 yards down the street before finally breaking free, his arms and hands left torn and bloodied, requiring more than two dozen stitches.

A Father's Fierce Defense

The agent himself has kept silent. But his father, 80 years old and furious, is speaking for him. "She hit him," Ed Ross claimed. "He also had an officer whose arm was in the car. He will not be charged with anything."

He described his son as "a committed, conservative Christian, a tremendous father, a tremendous husband." The patriarch added, "You would never find a nicer, kinder person [...] I couldn't be more proud [sic] of him."

Military Man, Family Man, ICE Man

Ross has lived on the outskirts of Minneapolis since 2015 and has been an immigration officer since at least 2013. He bought his current home that year for $460,000, financed through a Veterans Administration-backed loan.

Military plates on his vehicle suggest overseas service. Born in Florida, Ross came from humble beginnings. His father, the same man now publicly standing by him, filed for bankruptcy in 1996, when his son was just 13.

A Family with Immigrant Ties

While Ross has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate, his own household tells a different story. He is married to a 38-year-old U.S. citizen whose parents are both doctors living in the Philippines.

They wed in August 2012, but social media posts suggest they began dating in June of that year. One 2013 post from their time near El Paso, Texas, shows her standing beside a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter.

Other posts reveal Spanish-language recipe books and cultural mementos from Latin America, adding another layer of complexity to Ross's image as a hardline enforcer.

Flags, Stickers, and Tension

Ross's neighbors have also begun speaking out. Several confirmed to the Daily Mail that he had previously flown pro-Trump flags, including a Gadsden flag bearing the infamous "Don't Tread On Me" motto.

His vehicle carried bumper stickers backing both President Trump and Vice President Vance during the election. "I think he's in the military. He has a military license plate," one neighbor observed. "The wife is polite, very nice, very outgoing, while he's very reserved. They have a couple of kids."