Federal Shooting of Minnesota Woman Draws Scrutiny, Political Backlash

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by a federal immigration officer has triggered a widening investigation and sharp political fallout, as the Trump administration moved quickly to defend the agent involved and federal authorities assumed sole control of the case.

Renee Nicole Good, 37, a mother of three, was killed earlier this week during an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis. Video footage from the scene shows an ICE officer firing multiple shots at Good while she was inside her vehicle. The shooting occurred shortly after Good dropped her six-year-old son off at school, according to family members.

Administration officials characterized the shooting as justified and described Good as a violent agitator, calling her a “domestic terrorist” and alleging she attempted to run over an officer. Those claims have been challenged by video evidence that appears to show the officer stepping away from the vehicle moments before the shots were fired.

Vice President JD Vance defended the officer, identified as Jonathan Ross, saying Good’s death was “a tragedy of her own making” and asserting the agent was “just doing his job.” Vance said the officer was protected by “absolute immunity,” indicating the administration believes the shooting was lawful before the conclusion of any investigation.

The remarks drew immediate criticism from Democratic lawmakers and legal experts.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she fundamentally disagreed with Vance’s defense of the shooting, saying she does not believe Americans should be “assassinated in the street.”

Former Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman, who prosecuted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, disputed Vance’s claim. “The vice president is wrong,” Freeman told CNN. “This appears to be a malicious act by a rogue officer who had no reason to fear for his life.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a former state attorney general, also criticized the administration, calling for an independent investigation and condemning what he described as premature conclusions by federal officials.

The controversy intensified after the FBI reversed course on an initial agreement to conduct a joint investigation with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Federal authorities instead took exclusive control of the investigation, barring state officials from access to evidence, witnesses and the scene.

Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice to allow state participation, writing that the decision raises concerns about objectivity given public statements by administration officials that conflict with available evidence.

Legal experts note that federal policy typically encourages cooperation with state and local agencies in officer-involved shootings and does not place those agencies under FBI authority.

Multiple videos from the scene show Good turning her steering wheel away from the officer as her vehicle moved forward. Moments before the shooting, Good is heard calmly speaking to the officer. After the shots were fired, the officer can be heard using a profane slur directed at her.

Good’s family said she had stopped to observe and document ICE activity in her neighborhood, an action protected under the First Amendment. Her wife, Becca Good, said in a statement, “We had whistles. They had guns.”

The shooting has prompted protests in Minneapolis and other cities, with demonstrators calling for an independent investigation and greater oversight of federal law enforcement operations. The case has renewed debate over federal authority, immigration enforcement and accountability when civilians are killed by law enforcement officers.

Investigations into the shooting are ongoing