Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, had just dropped her 6-year-old child off at school before the deadly encounter with federal immigration agents.
Good was driving back home from the school drop-off with her current partner on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when they came upon a group of ICE agents, her ex-husband told The Associated Press. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said Good and her partner had moved to Minneapolis last year from Kansas City, Mo.
Her ex-husband said she was not an activist and, to his knowledge, had not participated in protests in the past.
Video from the scene showed Good’s partner filming ICE agents as they approached a Honda Pilot. After the shooting, her partner appeared to chase the vehicle as it crashed into other cars, then collapsed to the ground, crying.
“They shot my wife,” she could be heard saying. She later added, “I made her come down here, it’s my fault,” The National News Desk reported.
When a bystander asked if there was anyone they could call, Good’s partner replied, “I have a 6-year-old at school… we’re new here, we don’t have anyone.”
ABC News reported, citing city officials, that Good suffered gunshot wounds to the head. She was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead on Wednesday.
Footage from the aftermath showed Good’s wrecked vehicle at the scene, with stuffed animals spilling from the glove compartment near blood stains on the driver’s side airbag.
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Family members say child has now lost both parents
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Good was previously married to Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who died at age 36 in 2023. His father, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., told the outlet he was shocked by the news and identified his son as the father of Good’s 6-year-old child — who has now lost both parents.
“There’s nobody else in his life,” Macklin Sr. said of his grandson. “I’ll drive. I’ll fly. To come and get my grandchild.”
The Associated Press reported that Good’s 6-year-old son was from her second marriage. She was also a mother to two older children — a daughter and a son — ages 12 and 15, from her first marriage, according to the outlet.
Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, told the Star Tribune that her daughter was “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.” Ganger added, “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.”
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Officials dispute what led to the shooting
In remarks delivered after Good’s death, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Good had been “stalking and impeding” ICE agents that day and accused her of “domestic terrorism.”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also alleged in a statement that the ICE agent who shot Good feared for his life, the lives of fellow officers, and public safety. The agent has since been identified as Jonathan Ross.
Ganger rejected the characterization of her daughter as a “domestic terrorist” and disputed the self-defense claim. “That’s so stupid. She was probably terrified,” she said, adding that Good was “not part of anything like that at all,” referring to protesters who have challenged ICE operations.
Local leaders call for investigation and accountability
While federal officials, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, have placed blame on Good for the shooting, state and local leaders have interpreted the situation differently.
On social media, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reposted a DHS statement and wrote, “I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine. The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded that ICE leave the city.
“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said at a Wednesday press conference. “This was a federal agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.”
He then warned ICE, “Get the f— out of Minneapolis.”
“We do not want you here,” Frey added. “Your stated purpose for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, but you are doing exactly the opposite.”
