Donald Trump Gives a 6-Word Statement on Renee Good's Death – Details

The shooting of Renee Nicole Good sparked outrage in Minneapolis as frightened residents called for ICE to be removed from the city.

President Donald Trump made a rare appearance at the daily White House briefing on January 20, joining Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as she fielded questions — including one on the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) shooting of Renee Nicole.

Trump Marks Inauguration Milestone with Fiery Defense of ICE

The president spoke with reporters for nearly an hour as he marked the one-year anniversary of his second inauguration, addressing several hot-button issues along the way.

Trump said his administration had done a strong job protecting the border and preventing illegal entry. He added that ICE had been effective in removing people who came to the U.S. unlawfully, some of whom he described as hardcore criminals.

Trump Reacts to Good's Death

When asked about the January 7 shooting death of Good, Trump was quick to defend the agency. He said, "You know, they’re gonna make mistakes sometimes. ICE is gonna be too rough with somebody or — you know, they're dealing with rough people. They're gonna make a mistake sometimes. It can happen."

However, he added that he felt terrible about what had happened. "I felt horribly when I was told that the young woman who was, had the tragedy, it's a tragedy. It's a horrible thing. Everybody would say — ICE would say the same thing [sic]," said Trump.

He then shifted to talking about Good's parents, saying her father in particular had been a strong supporter of his and expressing hope that the tragedy had not changed those feelings. Returning to the incident, Trump concluded, "It's so sad. It just happens. It's terrible."

ICE Called Her a Domestic Terrorist – Her Neighbors Called Her Kind

Earlier, officials in the Trump administration labeled Good a domestic terrorist, claiming she had tried to hit federal agents with her Honda Pilot. Her family, friends, and neighbors, however, recalled her as a warm, caring, and generous person.

Good was not the "worst-of-the-worst" criminals that Trump said his immigration crackdown would target. She was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and appeared to have no record beyond a single traffic ticket.

Before she was fatally shot behind the wheel of her car by an ICE officer, Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, had dropped off her youngest child at an elementary school in Minneapolis, the city she had most recently made her home.

Good, her 6-year-old son, and her wife had only recently moved to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Missouri. They settled on a quiet residential street lined with older homes and multifamily buildings.

By the day after her death, neighbors were tired of speaking with reporters, and a handwritten sign on one door read, "NO MEDIA INQUIRIES" and "JUSTICE FOR RENEE."

Family Hires High-Powered Legal Team

A week after Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, her family retained a Chicago-based law firm to carry out a civil investigation into the incident.

This is the same firm that represented George Floyd's family and secured a record $27 million settlement from the city of Minneapolis in a wrongful death case.

The firm, Romanucci & Blandin, stated in a press release, "What happened to Renee is wrong, contrary to established policing practices and procedures, and should never happen in today's America."

The founding partner of Romanucci & Blandin, Antonio Romanucci, also said the public has not been given transparency regarding the case. The firm stated that it plans to release information uncovered during its investigation on a rolling basis.

"People in Minneapolis and across this country truly, truly care about what happened to Renee Good on January 7, 2026, and are committed to understanding how she could have been killed on the street after dropping her child off at school," Romanucci added.

His remarks came after a Justice Department official indicated that the department did not see a basis to open a criminal civil rights investigation into Good's death. An FBI investigation is still ongoing.

In a statement, Good's family also spoke out in gratitude. They said that the type of "unending care" they have been given during this time, "is exactly the kind" that Good "gave to everyone." They described her as "the beautiful light of our family" who "brought joy to anyone she met."

As we previously reported, the wife of Good was filmed during the encounter with ICE agents. Footage from the scene captures her visibly distraught, with her words suggesting she is struggling with overwhelming guilt following the loss of her loved one.

Video Shows Emotional Reaction of Good's Partner

Good's partner was recording from outside the vehicle when Good was fatally shot. In another clip, she was seen following behind federal agents with her phone as they approached Good's red Honda Pilot, which was blocking the middle of the road.

She did not immediately register the gunshots fired by an ICE agent. Moments later, she ran after the vehicle as it sped away before crashing into cars further up the street.

In the aftermath of the shooting, footage showed Good's wife slumped on the ground, her dog sitting beside her as she cried uncontrollably. "I made her come down here, it's my fault," the woman said. "They just shot my wife," she added.

The video, filmed by a bystander outside his home, showed him asking the now-widow if there was anyone he could call on her behalf. "I have a six-year-old at school… we're new here, we don't have anyone," she said in response.

Dispute Erupts over Circumstances Surrounding Good's Death

Another video from the aftermath showed a man identifying himself as a doctor attempting to assist Good. However, ICE agents refused his help, saying their own EMT team was handling the situation.

Life-saving measures were performed at the scene, but the mom of three was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The officer who fatally shot Good received backing from the Trump administration, which characterized the action as self-defense.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the officers were conducting lawful enforcement operations. Noem described Good's actions as an attempted act of domestic terrorism by trying to run over the officer.

Trump also said that Good had violently struck the ICE officer while obstructing and resisting authorities. In response, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey strongly rejected the administration's account.

He condemned ICE's presence in the city and emphasized that its operations were causing more harm than safety. Frey called for the agency to leave Minneapolis immediately, asserting that the community did not want them there.

Meanwhile, online reactions poured in after the tragedy. One user expressed sympathy, "Prayers for her child, I'm sure the child is hurting and so is her family."

Another commenter wrote, "My condolences to her family and child that poor child 😢 💔." A third voice acknowledged the tragedy but added a controversial opinion, "Sorry for the kids. But she should have stayed home."

Good's Life Beyond the Headlines

On social media, Good described herself as a "poet and writer and wife and mom" and shared that she was "experiencing Minneapolis," accompanied by a pride emoji on her Instagram account. Her Pinterest profile picture shows her smiling, holding a young child against her cheek, alongside posts about tattoos, hairstyles, and home decorating.

Her ex-husband, who requested anonymity to protect their children, said Good was not an activist and had never participated in protests. He described her as a devoted Christian who, in her youth, took part in mission trips to Northern Ireland.

She loved to sing, participating in a high school chorus and studying vocal performance in college. He added that while Good had been primarily a stay-at-home mom in recent years, she previously worked as a dental assistant and at a credit union. She also hosted a podcast with her second husband, who passed away in 2023.

Good studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia, winning a prize in 2020 for one of her works, according to the school's English department Facebook page.

Kent Wascom, who taught Good in Old Dominion's creative writing program, recalled her juggling work and school while caring for her child in 2019. He described her as "incredibly caring of her peers."

Wascom noted, "What stood out to me in her prose was that, unlike a lot of young fiction writers, her focus was outward rather than inward. A creative writing workshop can be a gnarly place with a lot of egos and competition, but her presence was something that helped make that classroom a really supportive place."

Donna Ganger, Good's mother, said that the family was notified of her death on the same day she passed on. Ganger added, "Renee was one of the kindest people I've 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."

Now, with a life lost, the public is waiting to see whether ICE will adjust its approach to carry out its work while prioritizing both safety and efficiency.