MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer after dropping her youngest child off at an elementary school in Minneapolis. Good, who had recently moved from Kansas City, Missouri, was characterized by her family and friends as gentle and kind, in stark contrast to the Trump administration’s portrayal of her as a domestic terrorist who allegedly attempted to ram federal agents with her vehicle.
Good had settled on a quiet street in Minneapolis, where a handwritten sign on a neighbor’s door stated, “NO MEDIA INQUIRIES” and “JUSTICE FOR RENEE.” Despite governmental assertions, she was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and had no significant criminal record, having only received a traffic ticket in her lifetime.
On her social media accounts, Good expressed her identity as a "poet and writer and wife and mom," and noted that she was “experiencing Minneapolis,” eyeing her new home with pride. Multiple posts on Pinterest depict her smiling with a child and sharing interests like tattoos and home decorating. Her ex-husband described her as non-political, stating she was returning home when she encountered the ICE agents.
State and local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have disputed the federal government's self-defense claims, asserting that bystander videos contradict the narrative. Footage captured by witnesses shows an officer approaching Good's vehicle and demanding she open the door, leading to another officer firing at least two shots into the car when she began to pull away. The entire event unfolded in under 10 seconds.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, a visibly distraught woman, believed to be Good’s wife, was seen near the vehicle, crying out, “That’s my wife, I don’t know what to do!” Efforts to contact Good's wife have gone unanswered, and community members have expressed their sorrow at makeshift memorials erecting flowers and tributes at the site where the incident occurred.
Good’s upbringing is marked by a strong Christian faith; she participated in youth mission trips to Northern Ireland during her younger years. As a passionate singer, she engaged in high school chorus and pursued vocal performance in college. She was a creative writing student at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where she won a writing prize in 2020 and even hosted a podcast with her second husband, who passed away in 2023.
Kent Wascom, a professor in Good’s writing program, remembers her as a caring individual who balanced motherhood with academics. He praised her ability to contribute positively to the classroom environment, emphasizing her outward focus—a rarity among young fiction writers. Good leaves behind two older children, aged 15 and 12, from her first marriage, as well as a 6-year-old son from her second marriage.
According to her ex-husband, Good had taken on a primarily stay-at-home role in recent years, after having previously worked as both a dental assistant and at a credit union. Her mother, Donna Ganger, expressed her grief over Renee’s untimely death, describing her daughter as one of the kindest individuals she had ever known—compassionate, loving, and always caring for others throughout her life.
