The widow of a woman shot dead by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis has given her first public statement, drawing a stark contrast between the peaceful intent of the couple and the armed response they faced. Rebecca Good said she and her wife, Renee Good, had only whistles to show support for neighbours, while the masked agents confronting them carried guns.
A Fatal Encounter on a Snowy Street
The incident occurred on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, just blocks from the couple's home in Minneapolis. Three Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers surrounded the Honda Pilot SUV driven by 37-year-old Renee Good. Bystander video footage shows an officer approaching the stationary vehicle, which was stopped across the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle.
The vehicle then begins to pull forward, at which point a different ICE officer standing directly in front of it draws his weapon and fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the car moves. Renee Good, a mother of three and a U.S. citizen born in Colorado, was killed.
Contested Narratives and a Life Remembered
Officials from the Trump administration have characterised Renee Good as a domestic terrorist who attempted to run over an officer. This description has been firmly rejected by Minneapolis state and local officials, as well as by protesters.
In her written statement provided to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday, 9 January 2026, Rebecca Good focused not on the details of the confrontation but on celebrating her wife's life. The couple, who had recently moved to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Missouri, after an extended road trip, were raising Renee's six-year-old son from a previous marriage.
"Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled," Rebecca wrote. "I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time." She described Renee as a Christian who believed all religions taught the essential truth of loving and caring for one another.
Far from the "worst-of-the-worst" criminals targeted by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, Renee Good's record was clean save for a single traffic ticket. On social media, she described herself as a "poet and writer and wife and mom," sharing posts about tattoos, hairstyles, and home decorating. Her ex-husband, speaking anonymously to protect their teenage children, said he never knew her to participate in any form of protest.
A Legacy of Kindness and a Future to Build
Rebecca Good expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from across America and the world. She framed her wife's death within the values they were instilling in their son. "We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness," she stated.
She concluded with a poignant commitment: "I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way."
