Tensions escalated in Minneapolis on Thursday following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an immigration raid in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. The incident, captured on bystander videos, has ignited protests, clashes with police, and a sharp divide between federal officials defending the agent and local leaders demanding accountability.
Good, described by family and community members as a loving mother, award-winning poet, singer, and recent transplant from Missouri, was killed Wednesday morning near 34th Street and Portland Avenue. Witnesses and local officials said she was “caring for her neighbors” or acting as a legal observer when her SUV became involved in the confrontation amid a large-scale ICE operation targeting immigration enforcement.
Bystander footage shows ICE agents surrounding Good’s maroon SUV, which was partially blocking a street. One agent attempted to open the driver’s door and reached inside, yelling commands. As the vehicle reversed slightly and then turned right to drive away, an agent fired multiple shots at close range into the driver’s side. The SUV crashed into a parked car shortly after; Good was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
A forensic video analysis by The New York Times, examining footage from multiple angles, found that the SUV appeared to be turning away from the shooting agent—not toward him—when he opened fire. The analysis contradicts claims that Good’s vehicle struck or endangered the officer, showing no impact and the agent’s position to the side as the wheels turned in the opposite direction.
The Trump administration swiftly defended the shooting as justified self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it an “act of domestic terrorism,” stating Good “weaponized her vehicle” and attempted to run over agents. President Donald Trump echoed this on social media, describing the situation as “vicious” and claiming Good tried to run over an officer.
Vice President JD Vance, in a White House briefing, went further, calling Good’s death “a tragedy of her own making” and suggesting she was influenced by “left-wing ideology” or “brainwashed” by a broader network obstructing law enforcement. Vance praised the agent, noting a prior incident where an ICE officer was injured, and accused media coverage of endangering officers.
Minnesota officials sharply disputed the federal narrative. Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, after viewing videos, rejected claims of self-defense and called for ICE to leave the state. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was initially involved but announced Thursday it had been blocked by the FBI from accessing evidence, with the federal agency taking full control of the investigation.
Protests erupted overnight and continued Thursday, with demonstrators clashing with police, chanting “ICE out,” and holding vigils. Schools canceled classes as a precaution, and community leaders demanded the agent’s identification, arrest, and prosecution. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for charges against the officer.
The shooting is the latest in a series of at least nine incidents since September where federal immigration agents fired on individuals in vehicles, often citing self-defense amid the administration’s aggressive enforcement surge.
As investigations proceed under federal control, Minneapolis remains on edge, highlighting deepening rifts over immigration policy and use of force early in President Trump’s second term.