The woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a Minneapolis operation has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, according to her mother, who spoke to local media following the Wednesday incident.

Good, who described herself as a poet, mother, and wife on social media, died after what federal authorities say was an attempt to ram ICE agents with her Honda Pilot during an immigration enforcement operation in a south Minneapolis neighborhood.

Family Describes Victim as Compassionate

Donna Ganger, Good’s mother, told the Star Tribune that her daughter was “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known” and characterized her as “extremely compassionate” and someone who “took care of people all her life.”

The description stands in stark contrast to federal characterizations of the incident. The Department of Homeland Security labeled Good a “domestic terrorist” who attempted to kill federal agents, while family members express bewilderment at the circumstances that led to her death.

🚨BREAKING: Video Shows moment individual is shot and killed by DHS.

Vehicle is seen accelerating toward a DHS Officer who fires before sidestepping. Vehicle then crashes. pic.twitter.com/UuNedqzOOY

— Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 7, 2026

Good’s Instagram profile described her as a “wife and mom and shitty guitar strummer from Colorado; experiencing Minneapolis.” The bio included a pride flag and she/her pronouns. She had been previously married to a comedian who died in 2023, also at age 37.

Sequence of Events Leading to Fatal Shooting

According to the Department of Homeland Security’s account, ICE agents were conducting an immigration operation when several individuals allegedly used their vehicles to block the street, preventing agents from moving their truck. When agents exited their vehicle and ordered Good to move her SUV, she allegedly accelerated toward one of the officers.

Video footage from multiple angles shows Good’s vehicle making contact with an ICE agent, who then fired three shots into the car as he spun toward the driver’s side window. Good was struck at least once in the head and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The SUV crashed into a row of parked cars immediately following the shooting, with witnesses screaming in horror at the scene.

Wife’s Anguished Response Captured on Video

Disturbing footage taken near the scene appeared to show Good’s distraught wife, her face covered in blood, taking responsibility for the tragic outcome. The woman, who appeared to have entered the vehicle to help Good after the shooting, was heard saying, “I made her come down here; it’s my fault,” and “They just shot my wife.”

All I see is self-defense pic.twitter.com/Eyiu6g9VTh

— Xaviaer DuRousseau (@XAVIAERD) January 7, 2026

The woman, sobbing and clearly in shock, told bystanders that she had a 6-year-old child at school and that they were new to the area. She appeared to question why agents used live ammunition, saying, “Why did you have real bullets? She was yelling!”

The emotional scene underscores the human cost of what federal officials describe as a necessary law enforcement action and what critics characterize as excessive force.

Federal Officials Defend Use of Force

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin defended the shooting on social media, writing that “One of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.”

President Trump and other federal officials have stated that Good’s killing was justified given the circumstances. The administration has framed the incident as part of broader immigration enforcement efforts that officials say are necessary for public safety.

The characterization of Good as a domestic terrorist represents the federal government’s effort to contextualize the shooting within broader law enforcement narratives about threats to federal agents during immigration operations.

Local Officials Express Outrage

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey held a heated press conference following the shooting, directing profanity-laden criticism at federal immigration authorities.

“To ICE, get the f—k out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here,” Frey said during the press conference. “Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite.”

BREAKING: Mayor Frey tells ICE "get the fck out of Minneapolis" or more will be kiIIed pic.twitter.com/vfWryQWL7n

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 7, 2026

The mayor’s comments reflect broader tensions between local officials in sanctuary cities and federal immigration enforcement agencies. Minneapolis has historically been resistant to federal immigration operations, and local leaders have frequently criticized ICE activities in the city.

Questions About Circumstances Remain

Good’s mother expressed confusion about her daughter’s presence at what appeared to be an immigration protest, stating that Good was “not part of anything like that at all.” This raises questions about how Good came to be involved in the confrontation with federal agents.

The discrepancy between the family’s characterization of Good as someone uninvolved in activism and the circumstances that led to her confrontation with ICE agents remains unexplained. Her mother described the situation as “so stupid” and suggested that Good was “probably terrified” during the encounter.

The incident occurred in a middle-class south Minneapolis neighborhood, an area not typically associated with immigration enforcement operations or protests.

Broader Context of Immigration Enforcement

The fatal shooting comes amid intensified federal immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration. The incident highlights the potential for violence when federal agents conduct operations in communities where local officials and residents oppose such activities.

The characterization of Good’s actions as domestic terrorism represents a significant escalation in how federal officials describe resistance to immigration operations. Previously, such incidents were typically framed as obstruction of justice or assault on federal officers rather than terrorism.

The use of deadly force during immigration operations remains controversial, particularly in jurisdictions where local officials have declared their opposition to federal enforcement activities. The Minneapolis incident is likely to intensify debates about the appropriate use of force during such operations.

As investigations into the shooting continue, questions remain about the circumstances that led a poet and mother with no apparent history of activism to confront federal agents in a way that resulted in her death. The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly immigration enforcement operations can turn deadly, leaving families shattered and communities divided.

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