A fatal split-second decision by a federal officer has ignited outrage, reopened old wounds, and plunged a city already scarred by police violence back into crisis.
The streets of South Minneapolis were once again stained by violence as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman, igniting fury, fear, and haunting memories just blocks from where George Floyd was killed nearly six years ago.
Demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd following a night of rioting on May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Source: Getty Images
Renee Nicole Good was rushed to a local hospital after being shot near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue on Wednesday, January 7. She died shortly after, leaving behind a devastated family, a grieving community, and a swirl of controversy.
Protesters take part in a vigil for Renee Nicole Good at Fruitvale Plaza Park in Oakland, California, on January 7, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Source: Getty Images
Federal Account Sparks Outrage in South Minneapolis
Federal officials were quick to defend the officer’s actions, claiming agents were attacked during an enforcement operation when civilians began blocking ICE vehicles.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the driver of one vehicle, allegedly Good, tried to “weaponize her vehicle” against officers. The department doubled down, branding the incident “domestic terrorism” and insisting the officer opened fire in self-defense.
ICE agents are seen approaching Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle on the morning of January 7, 2026 | Source: X/maxnesterak
Mayor Denounces Federal Version of Events
But the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, wasn’t having it. In a jaw-dropping press conference, Frey revealed he had personally viewed video footage of the shooting and said the federal narrative flat-out contradicts what he saw.
“I myself saw a video of the shots being fired as the car was driving away,” Frey declared. “What I can tell you is the narrative that this was just done in self-defense is a garbage narrative that is not true. It has no truth, and it needs to be stated very clearly.”
Mayor Jacob Frey and other city officials speak at the scene of the ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026 | Source: Getty Images
His fury only grew from there.
“Get the [expletive] out of Minneapolis,” he told federal agents in a scathing statement. “We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt, families are being ripped apart.”
In his searing public address, Frey again rejected the official version of events. “They are already trying to spin this as an action [sic] of self-defense,” he said. “They want us to respond in a way that creates a military occupation in our city. They want an excuse to come in and show the kind of force that will create more chaos and more despair.”
Mayor Jacob Frey speaks at a news conference following the shooting in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026 | Source: Getty Images
Federal Officials and Trump Defend the Officer
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stood firm behind the ICE officer’s account, labeling the incident a case of domestic terrorism. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, unleashing his own dramatic take.
“I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a horrible thing to watch,” Trump wrote. “The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator… who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.”
Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle is seen blocking the road on January 7, 2026 | Source: X/maxnesterak
“Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive,” he added, “but is now recovering in the hospital.” But the video posted, believed to be shot from a nearby building, told a murkier story. It showed a vehicle driving away from ICE agents, with no visible evidence that an officer had been hit.
An ICE agent is seen pointing his gun at Renee Nicole Good as she attempts to drive away on January 7, 2026 | Source: X/maxnesterak
As the city demanded answers, Good was remembered not as an agitator, but as an artist, a mother, and a beloved community member.
She had been recognized in 2020 with the Academy of American Poets Old Dominion University College Poetry Prize. In the past, she co-hosted a podcast with her ex-husband and was raising a young child.
In a heartbreaking joint statement, the Minneapolis City Council called for the ICE agent’s arrest and prosecution.
“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,” the council wrote. “Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Dozens of federal and local officers secure the scene following the fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis | Source: Getty Images
City Council Demands ICE Withdrawal
“We are united in our support for our immigrant community and our residents in the wake of these attacks,” the statement continued. “We demand that ICE immediately leave our city so we can get rid of their chaos and violence that ended the life of one of our neighbors today.”
People attend a vigil in Minneapolis holding signs honoring Renee Nicole Good after she was fatally shot by an ICE agent | Source: Getty Images
City Awaits Answers amid Growing Tensions
As of Thursday, January 8, the city remains on edge. Local and state leaders are urging a full, transparent investigation into the killing. No arrests have been announced. And the federal agent who fired the fatal shot remains unnamed.
Scene of an ICE-involved shooting in south Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, where a burgundy SUV with a bullet hole in the windshield is surrounded by agents | Source: Getty Images
More details are expected in the coming days, but for now, a city already scarred by tragedy is once again asking: Who protects us when those with the power to protect are the ones pulling the trigger?
