The woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, according to her family. The fatal shooting occurred just a few blocks from where she lived, sending shockwaves through her neighborhood and sparking an outpouring of grief.
Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, confirmed her daughter’s identity and said the family was notified late Wednesday morning. Speaking through her grief, Ganger struggled to comprehend the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
“That’s so stupid,” she said, after learning details from a reporter. “She was probably terrified.”
Ganger emphasized that her daughter had no involvement in violent activity or organized protests. “Renee was not part of anything like that at all,” she said. Instead, she described her as a deeply compassionate person who spent her life caring for others.
“She was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Ganger said. “She was loving, forgiving, affectionate, and incredibly compassionate. She was an amazing human being.”
Good lived in the Twin Cities with her partner and children. A woman who answered the door at Good’s home declined to comment. An Instagram account believed to belong to Good described her as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and shitty guitar strummer from Colorado; experiencing Minneapolis, MN.”
Good was previously married to Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who died in 2023 at the age of 36. Macklin’s father, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., said the former couple shared a child who is now six years old.
“There’s nobody else in his life,” Macklin said. “I’ll drive. I’ll fly. To come and get my grandchild.”
Macklin added that Good had two additional children who he believed were living with extended family members.
Good’s creative talents and love for writing were well known. In 2020, while studying creative writing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, she received the school’s undergraduate poetry prize for her work titled On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs. A mini biography shared by the university’s English Department described her—then known as Renee Macklin—as a Colorado Springs native who co-hosted a podcast with her husband.
“When she is not writing, reading or talking about writing,” the post read, “she has movie marathons and makes messy art.”
Friends and neighbors shared memories of Good as a warm, generous presence. Megan Kocher, who met Good just weeks ago, recalled being welcomed into her home.
“She fed me tea and cookies while we talked about school,” Kocher wrote on social media. “She was such a warm and loving mother. This is tragic beyond words.”
An evening vigil drew hundreds of mourners to the neighborhood, many chanting Good’s name as they walked through the streets. Speakers honored her as a peaceful neighbor who was trying to protect others.
“She was peaceful. She did the right thing,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN. “She died because she loved her neighbors.”
Another speaker rejected claims by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that portrayed Good as a domestic threat, saying she was present simply to observe events and protect her community.
Mary Radford, 27, who lived next door to Good, described her as a devoted mother and a friendly neighbor. Radford often saw Good and her young son playing outside, especially when walking her Australian shepherd, Hazelnut.
“It’s a beautiful family,” Radford said through tears. “Her son is so sweet. He loves our dog. They’re always outside together.”
Though the Goods had only recently moved into the neighborhood, Radford said they quickly formed meaningful connections.
“We’re going to miss seeing them—forever,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to think about how her son will grow up without her. I wish I could have known her more.”
As the investigation continues, Renee Nicole Good is being remembered not for the circumstances of her death, but for the compassion, creativity, and love she brought to those around her.
