Millions of people witnessed the moment 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. who was she?
ICE shoots and kills woman in Minneapolis
A U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.
Millions of people have seen the moment ICE agents shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
Defenders of Good City, including city and state leaders, have called what happened on January 7 an unprovoked attack, while federal authorities say the operatives acted in self-defense. Her death has already become a lightning rod in a tense and divided nation.
But whatever Ms. Good was up to in the midst of the city’s unwelcome immigration enforcement efforts, she was in more than just the last seconds of her life.
Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Goode lived with her partner in Minneapolis and was a caring woman who had “cared for people all her life.”
“She was a loving, forgiving, loving person,” Ganga told the newspaper. “She was a wonderful human being.”
Most of them had never heard Good’s name before Wednesday, but in the hours after the shooting, hundreds of people attended a vigil for Good, chanting over and over again, “Say her name! Lenny Good! Say her name! Lenny Good!”
As Minneapolis and ICE draw national attention to the crash that killed Good and the firestorm that followed, USA TODAY is working to uncover who Good was and what led her to the scene of her death.
Here’s what we know so far:
What else do we know about Renee Nicole Good?
The Star Tribune reported that Good was the mother of a 6-year-old child, citing Timmy Ray Macklin, the father of Good’s ex-husband.
The GoFundMe, which is being reviewed by USA TODAY, says the donations will “go to Mr. Good’s wife and son who are facing the devastating loss of a wife and mother,” and describes Good as “pure sunshine, pure love.”
On her Instagram account, Goode describes herself as a “poet, author, wife, mother, and (expletive) guitar strummer from Colorado” who was “experienced in Minneapolis.”
What do we know about why Goode was in immigration detention?
Few details are known about what Good did in his immigration work.
The Minneapolis City Council said in a statement to NPR that Goode was “out to attend to a neighbor” when the collision occurred.
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar described Goode as a “legal watchdog.” Law observers are often present at police actions to record and monitor law enforcement actions. This is a common practice used by activists from the Black Panthers in the 1960s and 1970s to Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to Ms. Good says she works in real estate investment, property management and renovation.
Good’s mother, Ganga, told the Tribune that her daughter was “not involved in any of that,” referring to protesters blocking ICE officers. She said her daughter was “probably scared.”
A vigil was held in memory of Renee Nicole Good.
About 1,000 people attended the wake honoring Renee Nicole Good, held in subzero temperatures Wednesday night.
Minnesota Congresswoman Aisha Gomez told the crowd, “We’re here today because this is a profound tragedy for Renee, her loved ones, and her family.”
Minneapolis community organizer Erin Steen said people are expected to be on site “for as long as necessary.”
“I think people are grieving and dealing with it,” Steen said. “I think people will be here as long as they need to be.”
City and state officials defend Renee Nicole Goode
State Rep. Lee Finke said in a statement obtained by The New York Times that Goode was a cherished Minnesotan who was “a beloved and admired member of the community, and now she is being separated from her family.”
Mayor Jacob Frey said he “deeply regrets” Good’s family.
“There are no words to make this moment better,” he said. “Our hearts are with you.”
Contributed by Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times, part of the USA TODAY Network
