The Incident: A Fact-Based Account of Renee Good’s Death
On January 7, 2026, in south Minneapolis, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good (née Macklin) was fatally shot three times at close range by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer Jonathan Ross during an enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants. The shooting occurred around 9:30 a.m. on a residential street near Portland Avenue and 34th Street East. Good was driving a maroon Honda Pilot SUV and had positioned her vehicle to block or interfere with ICE agents’ activities, alongside her partner, Becca Good (also referred to as Rebecca Brown or Becca Handyman in some records). Cellphone footage captured by Ross himself shows the sequence: Good smiling and speaking casually to him (“That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad, it’s alright”), while Becca taunts the agents (“Show your face,” “We don’t change our plates every morning,” “U.S. citizen. You wanna come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy”). Ross repeatedly orders Good to exit the vehicle. The SUV then accelerates forward, striking Ross with a clear impact that knocks him back. He fires three shots through the driver’s side window, hitting Good. After the shots, Ross mutters “fucking bitch” as he recovers. Good was pronounced dead at the scene from wounds to the head and torso. No weapon was found on her, and she was unarmed.
Renee Nicole Good, Officer Jonathan Ross and Becca Good
Renee Nicole Good, born Renée Nicole Macklin around 1988 in Colorado Springs, was a 37-year-old woman who died on January 7, 2026, after being shot by an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. She had recently moved there from Kansas City, Missouri, with her partner and youngest child. Good studied English and creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia, graduating in 2020. That year, under her maiden name, she won an Academy of American Poets College Prize for her poem “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” which reflects on nostalgia for childhood simplicity. She described herself on social media as a poet, writer, wife, mother of three (two older children from a prior marriage live elsewhere, and a six-year-old son), and occasional guitar player.
Ross, a 10-year veteran of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) unit, had been involved in a similar incident six months prior in June 2025, where he was dragged approximately 100 yards by a fleeing vehicle during an arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota, sustaining injuries that required hospitalization. He reported fearing for his life again, citing the prior trauma and the vehicle’s acceleration toward him. Federal officials, including Vice President JD Vance and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, described the shooting as self-defense against attempted vehicular assault. The FBI took over the investigation from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), citing federal jurisdiction over assaults on federal officers. No charges have been filed against Ross as of January 9, 2026, and he remains on administrative leave. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty pushed for a local probe but was overruled. Protests erupted immediately, with demonstrators blocking streets and clashing with police, leading to arrests and school closures in Minneapolis for the remainder of the week.
Initial narratives from left-leaning media and politicians like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey portrayed Good as a non-threatening “mother of three” simply in the area after dropping off her child, caught in a reckless federal overreach. Frey demanded ICE “leave the city immediately,” calling their presence “chaos.” Walz labeled the shooting “bullshit” and questioned its justification. However, footage and context reveal Good and Becca were actively interfering: their vehicle bore anti-ICE stickers, and Becca’s taunts referenced future harassment (“It’ll be the same plate when you come talk to us later”). Becca later yelled “Drive, baby, drive!” as Good accelerated. This aligns with reports that the couple were linked to “MN ICE Watch,” a group that trains activists to track, dox, and disrupt ICE operations. Just days before, on January 5, MN ICE Watch held a virtual seminar on resisting deportations. Good’s ex-husband, in interviews, claimed she wasn’t a full-time activist and was primarily a stay-at-home mom and Christian, but evidence suggests at least episodic involvement, possibly influenced by Becca. Good’s family described her as kind and sparkling, but her actions that day—positioning to block agents and accelerating—escalated the encounter into a lethal one.
The aftermath saw a GoFundMe for Becca and the family raise over $1.5 million before being paused amid scrutiny over fund allocation and custody disputes. Organizers stated funds would go into a trust, but Good’s paternal grandfather and brother are seeking custody of her 6-year-old son, arguing Becca should not benefit. Protests intersected with broader anti-Trump sentiments, with some arson and vandalism reported in Portland, Oregon, in solidarity.
Becca Good: Background and Activism
Becca Good (full name Rebecca, aliases include Brown or Handyman) is Good’s partner, whom she met after her second husband’s death in 2023. They relocated from Kansas City, Missouri, to Minneapolis in late 2024 or early 2025, reportedly fleeing post-Trump election fears, though Becca’s activism may have driven the move to a progressive hub. Becca has a documented criminal history: as an ex-convict, she served time (details unclear, but sources point to assault/domestic violence convictions). Post-release, she faced charges in Jackson County for child abuse—specifically, burning Good’s children with cigarettes and other domestic assaults, leading to a no-contact order. This prompted Good to give up custody of the older kids.
Becca is an active participant in anti-ICE and progressive activism. She followed and engaged with “MN ICE Watch,” a group that monitors, doxxes, and disrupts ICE raids through training seminars on resistance tactics. Just two days before the shooting, MN ICE Watch hosted a virtual event on January 5, 2026, teaching how to impede deportations—aligning with the couple’s actions. Footage shows Becca filming and taunting agents, implying future confrontations, and urging Good to drive into Ross. Post-incident, Becca issued a statement portraying Good as a beacon of kindness and love, emphasizing their move to Minnesota for a “better life” and framing the event as supporting neighbors with “whistles” against armed agents. She claimed intent to raise the 6-year-old alone, but family contests this, citing her record.
Becca’s activism extends to broader left-wing causes, including anti-police and LGBTQ+ advocacy, per social media and group affiliations. She described Good as “pure sunshine” and a Christian universalist, but her own rhetoric echoes radical anti-enforcement sentiments. No confirmed employment for Becca; some speculate she or the couple received stipends from activist networks, though unverified. Her influence on Good is cited by family as transformative—pulling her from a conventional life into activism, leading to the fatal encounter.
Custody Issues: Why Renee Good Did Not Have Full Custody of Her Children
Good had three children from two prior heterosexual marriages: two teenagers (around 15 and 12) from her first husband, and a 6-year-old son from her second. She did not have custody of the two older children, who lived with their father in another state. Public records and reports indicate this stemmed from allegations of child abuse and domestic violence involving her partner, Becca Good.
Cigarette burns on children
Jackson County, Missouri, court records show Becca (then possibly under the surname Brown) was arrested and charged with domestic abuse and child endangerment around 2023-2024. Specific claims included putting out cigarettes on the children’s arms, causing burns, and other physical abuse. Becca, described as an ex-convict with a prior criminal record (details sparse but including possible assault or drug-related offenses), was legally barred from contact with the children as a result. Good reportedly chose to stay with Becca, leading her to voluntarily relinquish custodial rights to the older kids to comply with court orders. The teens’ father gained full custody, and they resided out-of-state, away from Good and Becca.
The 6-year-old’s father died in 2023 (some unconfirmed reports suggest suicide, amid marital strain from Good’s emerging queer identity and relationship with Becca). This left Good with default custody of the youngest, but no abuse allegations were directly tied to him in available records. However, post-shooting, the child’s paternal grandfather announced plans to sue for custody, citing Becca’s history and influence as unfit. He also aims to claim GoFundMe proceeds for the children, arguing Becca—a non-biological partner—should not inherit or control funds.
Brainwashing led to tragic consequences
Good’s brother echoed this, claiming Becca “brainwashed” Renee into radical activism and uprooted the family to Minnesota after Trump’s 2024 election win, disrupting the children’s lives.
No criminal record for Renee Good herself appears in searches—beyond this incident—but her association with Becca’s alleged abuses led to the custody loss. Family court documents from Missouri (partially redacted) confirm the abuse probes, with child services involved multiple times. Good’s ex-husband described her as non-confrontational in daily life but noted her choices prioritized the relationship over parenting responsibilities. This aligns with broader patterns: Good divorced her first husband around 2010-2012, had the teens, then married again, had the youngest, and by 2023-2024, entered a same-sex relationship, self-publishing queer-themed poetry exploring identity and loss.
In sum, Good’s death resulted from deliberate interference in a federal operation, exacerbated by prior traumas on both sides. Custody losses tied directly to Becca’s alleged abuses, and Becca’s activism placed them at the scene. Federal probes continue, with no resolution as of now.