A public fundraiser for the family of a woman shot dead by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis has soared past $1.4 million, amid widespread protests and a fierce political row over the circumstances of her death.
A Fatal Confrontation and a Spiralling Fundraiser
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother-of-three, was killed on Wednesday after a confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on a residential street. The officer involved, identified as Jonathan Ross, fired three shots through the window of Good's Honda Pilot. She died at the scene as her wife, Rebecca, watched from nearby.
The online GoFundMe campaign, established by family friends to support Good's spouse and her six-year-old son, rapidly eclipsed its initial $50,000 target. By midday on Friday 09 January 2026, it had amassed $1,486,102 from approximately 38,000 donations. The page describes Good as "pure sunshine, pure love" and states her family is grappling with a "devastating loss".
Contested Narratives and Political Firestorm
The shooting has ignited mass demonstrations in Minneapolis and other US cities, fuelled by deep disagreement over the official account of events. The response from Washington has been sharply divisive.
President Donald Trump and his administration have blamed the victim, with Trump asserting on Truth Social that Good was "obviously, a professional agitator" who left the agent no choice but to fire in self-defence. He accused her of engaging in "domestic terrorism" and attempting to run over the agents.
Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have vigorously defended the officer, with Noem claiming Good had "weaponized" her vehicle. In stark contrast, California Governor Gavin Newsom labelled the incident "state-sponsored terrorism", accusing ICE of acting as Trump's "personal police force".
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gave a blistering rebuttal to the federal narrative, calling it "bulls***" and a "garbage narrative". He has demanded ICE leave the city and criticised federal officials for freezing out local authorities from the investigation, claiming ICE's actions have doubled the number of shootings in Minneapolis this year.
The Life of Renee Good
Originally from Colorado Springs, Good studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia. She previously hosted a podcast with her husband, comedian Tim Macklin, who died in 2023. After being widowed, she lived briefly in Kansas City and Canada before settling in Minneapolis with her new partner, whose surname she took upon marriage.
In addition to her young son, she is survived by a 15-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son. Her mother, Donna Granger, told The Minnesota Star Tribune her daughter was "extremely compassionate" and not prone to confrontation. However, a friend told The New York Post that Good was a member of a local group called "ICE Watch".
The killing, captured on video by eyewitnesses and scrutinised intensely on social media, continues to expose raw national divisions over immigration policy and law enforcement accountability.
