During the operation in Minneapolis, as claimed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers encountered protesters who attempted to obstruct their actions. The agency stated that one woman "used her vehicle as a weapon" and tried to run over officers, which led to return fire from one of them in self-defense.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen commented on the situation, indicating that ICE officers were stuck in the snow and trying to get out when a group of "provocateurs" blocked their path. She stated that the woman who "pursued them" did not comply with demands to exit the vehicle and ultimately attempted to run over an officer, which Nielsen believes can be considered an "act of domestic terrorism." As a result of the incident, one officer was struck and taken to the hospital, but was soon released.
According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, the deceased was identified as 37-year-old Rene Nicole McLean Good, a Colorado native who had recently moved to Minnesota. She was the mother of three children, two from her first marriage and a six-year-old son who was left fatherless after his father passed away in 2023. Rene's ex-husband reported that before the tragedy, she had dropped off her younger son at school and was returning home with her partner.
Rene described herself on social media as a "poet, writer, wife, and mother," and her Instagram profile featured an emoji with a rainbow flag. Her ex-husband claims that she was not an activist and did not participate in protests, and in recent years had been a homemaker.
After the incident, videos emerged online, recorded by witnesses from different angles. In one of the clips, ICE officers can be seen exiting a pickup truck and attempting to open the door of a Honda Pilot that was blocking their way. At that moment, a third person appears from the other side and shoots the woman as she began to move forward.
CNN, analyzing three videos, noted that the officer who shot the woman was behind her vehicle and, as seen in one of the clips, the vehicle made contact with him before the first shot. However, at the time of the shooting, he was already outside the vehicle's path. The Associated Press emphasizes that it is unclear from the video whether there was contact between the vehicle and the officer before the recording began.
Donald Trump, commenting on the incident, stated that the woman acted "extremely aggressively" and "intentionally ran over" the officer, who, in his opinion, acted in self-defense. He added that the incident is under investigation and linked it to threats from "radical leftists" against ICE personnel.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also commented on the incident, urging ICE to leave the city and pointing out that their actions led to a loss of life.
Just two days before the tragedy, news emerged about the Trump administration's plans to send about two thousand ICE personnel to Minnesota to enhance control over illegal immigration.
According to the Associated Press, the shooting occurred in an area located less than two kilometers from where police killed George Floyd in 2020. Following the tragedy, residents of Minneapolis began protests demanding that ICE leave the city. In the evening, hundreds of people gathered for a memorial ceremony for Rene Good.
