Controversy Erupts Over Fatal Shooting by ICE Officer in Minneapolis

Fri Jan 09 2026 04:48:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The killing of 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has sparked a heated debate between federal officials and local leadership over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A fatal shooting involving an ICE officer in Minneapolis has led to contrasting narratives from federal authorities and local leaders. While the Trump administration claims the officer acted in self-defense, Minneapolis officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, vehemently dispute this characterization, emphasizing the tragic loss of life and calling for accountability.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officials and local leaders clashed Wednesday over their differing characterizations of a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

While President Donald Trump’s administration described the killing of a 37-year-old mother, Renee Macklin Good, as an act of self-defense amid his latest immigration crackdown, Minneapolis officials have disputed that narrative.

How it unfolded

The woman was shot in her car in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where police killed George Floyd in 2020. Videos taken by bystanders and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped in the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle.

The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer. The SUV then speeds into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses can be heard shouting out in shock.

Victim was a ‘wife and mom’

Renee Nicole Macklin Good died of gunshot wounds to the head. She described herself on social media as a “poet and writer and wife and mom” who was from Colorado. Public records show Macklin Good had recently lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where she and another woman with the same home address had started a business last year called B. Good Handywork.

In a video posted from the scene on social media, a woman, who describes Macklin Good as her wife, is seen sitting near the vehicle sobbing. She says the couple had only recently arrived in Minnesota and that they had a 6-year-old child. Her killing quickly drew hundreds of angry protesters. It is at least the fifth death resulting from the aggressive U.S. immigration crackdown the Trump administration launched last year.

Noem says officer followed training

The ICE officer has not been publicly identified. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described him as an experienced officer and said he had been injured in June after being dragged by the vehicle of an anti-ICE protester. She said the officer was hit by the vehicle during Wednesday’s shooting and taken to the hospital. He has since been discharged.

“Our officer followed his training, did exactly what he’s been taught to do in that situation, and took actions to defend himself and defend his fellow law enforcement officers,” Noem said. However, Noem’s depiction of events has been met with skepticism from city leaders.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, after watching footage of the incident, disputed the cause of the shooting, calling it “garbage” and underscoring that it appeared to be avoidable. He condemned the actions of federal officers, stating, “They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”