Becca Good, the wife of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good—who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this week—shared a long statement with MPR News on Friday, describing her late partner as “made of sunshine.”
The context
An ICE agent fatally shot Good on Wednesday as she sat in her car in Minneapolis during a wave of immigration enforcement operations in major U.S. cities under President Donald Trump’s administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said Good posed a threat to federal agents and that the agent fired in self-defense. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other prominent Democrats criticized ICE’s actions, saying video footage showed Good was only trying to drive away from the scene.
Becca Good’s full statement
“First, I want to extend my gratitude to all the people who have reached out from across the country and around the world to support our family.
This kindness of strangers is the most fitting tribute because if you ever encountered my wife, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, you know that above all else, she was kind. In fact, kindness radiated out of her.
Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled. I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.
Renee lived by an overarching belief: there is kindness in the world and we need to do everything we can to find it where it resides and nurture it where it needs to grow. Renee was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.
Like people have done across place and time, we moved to make a better life for ourselves. We chose Minnesota to make our home. Our whole extended road trip here, we held hands in the car while our son drew all over the windows to pass the time and the miles.
What we found when we got here was a vibrant and welcoming community, we made friends and spread joy. And while any place we were together was home, there was a strong shared sense here in Minneapolis that we were looking out for each other. Here, I had finally found peace and safe harbor. That has been taken from me forever.
We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness. Renee lived this belief every day. She is pure love. She is pure joy. She is pure sunshine.
On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns.
Renee leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.
We thank you for the privacy you are granting our family as we grieve. We thank you for ensuring that Renee’s legacy is one of kindness and love. We honor her memory by living her values: rejecting hate and choosing compassion, turning away from fear and pursuing peace, refusing division and knowing we must come together to build a world where we all come home safe to the people we love.”
Who was Renee Nicole Good?
Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a U.S. citizen born in Colorado, had recently moved to Minnesota. Public records show no criminal history beyond a traffic ticket.
On social media, she described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom.” Her Instagram bio said she was “experiencing Minneapolis” and included a pride flag emoji. A Pinterest profile photo shows her smiling with a young child pressed to her cheek, alongside posts about tattoos, hairstyles, and home décor.
Her mother, Donna Ganger, told The Minnesota Star Tribune that her daughter lived in the Twin Cities with her partner, but declined to say whether Good lived in Minneapolis. Ganger said the family was notified of her death late Wednesday morning.
After hearing details from a reporter, Ganger responded: “That’s so stupid. She was probably terrified.”
Ganger also said her daughter was not involved in protests against immigration enforcement.
“Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” she told the Star Tribune. “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.”
Good was previously married to Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who died in 2023 at age 36, the newspaper reported. Timmy Ray Macklin Sr. told the outlet that Good and his son had a child who is 6 years old.
