Minneapolis, January 9, 2026 — The piercing crack of gunfire on a snowy South Minneapolis street has shattered the city’s fragile peace, leaving a family broken and a community on the brink of revolt.
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, poet, and beloved neighbor, was shot and killed Wednesday morning by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Renee was not a "domestic terrorist," as some federal officials have branded her. To those who knew her, she was the woman who wrote poetry about the delicate spaces between faith and science. She was a "shitty guitar strummer" who loved loudly, a devoted wife to her partner Rebecca, and a mother who, according to her own mother Donna Ganger, was "one of the kindest people I’ve ever known."
"She’s taken care of people all her life," Ganger told reporters, her voice trembling with the shock of a loss that feels both sudden and senseless.
A Routine Morning Turned Deadly
The incident unfolded on Portland Avenue, a quiet residential artery now stained by violence. Bystander video, which has circulated widely on social media, paints a harrowing picture. It shows Renee’s SUV idling near an ongoing raid—witnesses say she was there to monitor the safety of her immigrant neighbors.
As agents surrounded her vehicle, shouting conflicting commands, panic seemed to set in. Footage shows Renee attempting to maneuver her car away from the armed officers.
The video captures the aftermath: the heartbreaking sight of her wife, Rebecca, screaming for help as the vehicle crashed into parked cars, and the chilling silence of agents who, according to Mayor Jacob Frey, "recklessly used power that resulted in somebody dying."
"Say Her Name"
The official narrative from the Department of Homeland Security—claiming self-defense against a "weaponized vehicle"—has been met with visceral outrage.10 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey did not mince words after reviewing the footage, dismissing the federal account as "bullshit" and demanding ICE agents immediately leave his city.
Governor Tim Walz echoed the fury of his constituents, warning the public against the "propaganda machine" of the Trump administration, which has deployed 2,000 additional agents to the region. "I feel your anger," Walz said, his statement reflecting the raw emotion of a state that still bears the scars of George Floyd’s murder just blocks away.
But for the thousands gathering at vigils in the biting cold, this is not about politics; it is about the theft of a vibrant life. Candlelight flickered against the snow as crowds chanted, "Say her name! Renee Good!"—a mantra of remembrance for a woman who, just days ago, was writing poems and raising her children.
A Community in Mourning
The impact of Renee’s death has rippled through the city. Minneapolis Public Schools have canceled classes, citing safety concerns as grief pours into classrooms. The FBI has taken control of the investigation, a move that has sparked further anxiety among state officials who fear the truth may be buried under federal bureaucracy.
As the snow continues to fall on the memorial of flowers and candles piling up on Portland Avenue, Minneapolis stands at a precipice. The official reports will file this as an "officer-involved shooting," but for a grieving mother, a widowed wife, and a shaken city, it is the day the music died.
