Woman killed by ICE agent in Minneapolis identified — what we know about her

Minneapolis is reeling after a fatal shooting involving a federal ICE agent that has sparked outrage across the country.

The woman killed during the incident has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a poet, mother, and local resident whose sudden death has left friends, family, and neighbors heartbroken.

The tragedy unfolded on the morning of January 7, 2026, in south Minneapolis, when federal immigration authorities carried out a targeted operation.

Video footage from the scene shows a burgundy SUV being surrounded by law enforcement before gunshots rang out. The vehicle is later seen crashing into a light pole and parked cars, with a bullet hole visible in the driver’s side windshield.

ICE claims self-defense

According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were confronted while performing their duties, and a spokesperson described Good as having “weaponized her vehicle” in an attempt to strike officers.

DHS officials said the ICE officer involved fired in self-defense, saving his own life and those of fellow agents.

“An ICE officer fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow officers and the lives of the public, fired defensive shots, used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. “The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. Thankfully, the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.”

However, Minneapolis city officials, politicians, and community members strongly disagreed with the federal account.

Members of the Minneapolis City Council issued a statement calling Good “a member of our community” and demanding accountability.

“This morning an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a member of our community,” the council said. “Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mayor Jacob Frey also expressed anger and heartbreak over the incident, telling ICE officers to leave Minneapolis immediately.

Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh shared on X that he had heard reports of federal agents blocking a doctor from performing potentially life-saving CPR.

Fateh, joined by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, several city council members, and local faith leaders, went to the scene shortly after the shooting took place.

The woman was later identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, confirmed by her family. In response, the Minneapolis City Council released a statement mourning her death:

“Renee was a resident of our city who was out caring for her neighbors this morning and her life was taken today at the hands of the federal government. Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Family and neighbors mourn

Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, confirmed her daughter’s death to the Star Tribune and described her disbelief and grief.

“That’s so stupid” that she was killed, Ganger said. “She was probably terrified.”

Ganger emphasized that her daughter had no involvement in protests against ICE agents.

“Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” she said. “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’s family is now left to care for her six-year-old child.

Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., the father of Good’s late former husband, expressed his concern for his grandchild. “There’s nobody else in his life,” he said. “I’ll drive. I’ll fly. To come and get my grandchild.”

Neighbors described Good and her family as warm, close-knit, and deeply involved in their community.

Mary Radford, 27, lived next door and recalled seeing Good and her young son often.

“It’s a beautiful family. They have a son. He’s very sweet,” she said. “We’re gonna miss seeing them — forever. It is so painful to think about how he’s gonna fare in his life. And I just can’t even imagine what that family is going through.”

The SUV Renee Nicole Good was driving during the incident had Missouri license plates, KSHB 41 News reported.

The station confirmed with the Missouri Department of Revenue that the vehicle was registered to Renee N. Good Macklin at a Kansas City, Missouri, address. It remains unclear why her car was registered out of state.

Renee Nicole Good — poet, musician, and mother

An Instagram account believed to belong to Good described her as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and shitty guitar strummer from Colorado; experiencing Minneapolis, MN.”

In 2020, while studying creative writing at Old Dominion University, she won the school’s undergraduate poetry prize for On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs.

Good was also described by friends as a generous and caring neighbor.

Megan Kocher, who visited Good’s home weeks before the incident, said, “She fed me tea and cookies at her house while we talked about school stuff. She was such a warm and loving mother. This is tragic beyond words.”

A demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Justice for Renee Nicole Good’ during an emergency vigil and protest held under the Little Village Arch on January 07, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois / Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
At a vigil held in her honor, hundreds of mourners chanted her name as speakers emphasized her kindness and devotion to her neighbors.

“She was peaceful, she did the right thing,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN. “She died because she loved her neighbors.”