Renee Nicole Macklin Good -- Killed by Federal Agent in Minneapolis¶

Date of Incident: January 7, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Last Updated: 2026-02-11
Confidence Level: HIGH

Executive Summary¶

On the morning of January 7, 2026, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old United States citizen, mother of three, poet, and substitute teacher, was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross at the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis, Minnesota. Good had just dropped her 6-year-old son off at school when she encountered ICE agents operating as part of "Operation Metro Surge" — what the Department of Homeland Security called the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out.

Ross fired three shots while Good sat in the driver's seat of her Honda Pilot SUV. An independent autopsy found she was struck in the head, chest, and left forearm. The fatal wound entered the left side of her head near the temple and exited on the right side. Video evidence — including footage Ross himself recorded on his cell phone — shows Good turning her steering wheel to the right, away from Ross, in the second before he opened fire.

Good's last recorded words to the man who killed her were: "That's fine dude. I'm not mad at you."

The Department of Homeland Security immediately labeled the shooting "self-defense" and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Good a "domestic terrorist" who had "weaponized her vehicle." This narrative was contradicted by multiple independent video analyses, the House Oversight Committee, the Minneapolis Police Chief, the Minneapolis Mayor, and the Minnesota Governor. The House Oversight Committee Democrats' report called the government's claims "clearly false."

Good's killing was the first of two federal killings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January 2026. It sparked nationwide protests, mass resignations of federal prosecutors, a state lawsuit against DHS, and transformed Minneapolis into the epicenter of the national anti-ICE resistance movement.

Who Was Renee Good?¶

Full Name: Renee Nicole Macklin Good (born Renee Nicole Ganger)
Born: April 2, 1988
Died: January 7, 2026 (age 37)
Citizenship: United States

Renee Good was originally from Colorado. She earned a degree in English from Old Dominion University in Virginia in 2020, where she received an undergraduate award from the Academy of American Poets for her poem "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs." She was a poet, singer, and writer who worked as a substitute teacher in Minneapolis.

Good was previously married to Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who died in 2023 at age 36. She was the mother of three children: a 15-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old son, and a 6-year-old son. She and her wife, Becca Good, moved to Minneapolis in 2025. A member of the LGBTQI+ community, Good was a Christian whose faith motivated her work, according to her wife's statement.

Her wife described her:

"Above all else, she was kind."

"Renee always showed up — as a volunteer, a teacher, a mom, a friend."

She and her wife "practiced radical kindness every day."

City officials stated that Good was "out caring for her neighbors" at the time she encountered ICE agents. She was a legal observer of federal actions in the city and was not a target for arrest.

What Happened¶

The Context: Operation Metro Surge¶

In December 2025, DHS launched "Operation Metro Surge" following a viral video by right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley alleging fraud at Somali-run daycare centers in Minneapolis. State investigations found no evidence of fraud at the sites Shirley visited. On January 6, 2026 — one day before Good's killing — DHS expanded the operation, deploying over 2,000 armed agents to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

Of approximately 3,000 people arrested during the operation, only 23 were from Somalia. None had ties to the alleged daycare fraud.

The Shooting: January 7, 2026¶

Based on multiple video sources, witness accounts, and official statements, the following sequence of events has been established:

Good dropped her 6-year-old son off at school that morning.
Driving her Honda Pilot through south Minneapolis, she encountered unmarked government vehicles on Portland Avenue.
Good stopped her vehicle diagonally in the road and motioned for the vehicles to pass.
ICE officer Jonathan Ross began circling her vehicle on foot while recording with his cell phone.
Additional agents approached. At least one ordered Good out of the car while reaching through her open window.
Good told Ross: "That's fine dude. I'm not mad at you."
Good briefly reversed her vehicle, then moved forward and to the right — into the normal direction of traffic.
Video shows Good turning her steering wheel to the right, away from Ross, just over one second before the first shot.
Ross, standing at the front-left of the vehicle, fired three shots as the vehicle passed him, turning away.
Good's SUV crashed into a parked car. She was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The shooting occurred at 34th Street and Portland Avenue — less than one mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

What the Evidence Shows¶

Ross's own cell phone video:
- Depicts what the House Oversight Committee called "a peaceful encounter" that "does not depict violent behavior"
- Shows Good smiling and speaking calmly to Ross
- Shows Good turning her wheel away from Ross before shots were fired
- Shows Ross filming casually with one hand — inconsistent with perceiving a deadly threat

Expert analysis:
John P. Gross, professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School: "If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don't have one hand on a cellphone. You don't walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming."

Independent video analyses:
- New York Times: Vehicle was turning away from the officer when he fired
- ABC News: Good was turning her steering wheel to the right, away from the agent
- Washington Post: Published five key moments contradicting the government narrative

Independent autopsy:
- Three gunshot wounds plus one graze wound
- Fatal shot to the left temple (entry) exiting right side of head
- Chest wound (right breast, non-fatal) and left forearm wound (non-fatal)
- Bullet trajectories suggest shots fired from the side, not the front — consistent with vehicle turning away

Body cameras:
ICE officers were not required to wear body cameras. As of June 2025, ICE had only 4,400 cameras for approximately 22,000 agents. No body camera footage exists.

The Shooter: Jonathan Ross¶

Jonathan Ross, 43, was a 10-year ICE veteran assigned to fugitive operations in the Minneapolis area. His background:

Military: Indiana Army National Guard (2002-2008); deployed to Iraq (November 2004 - November 2005) as a machine gunner with the 138th Signal Battalion
Education: Business administration and psychology degree from Anderson University (2007)
Border Patrol: Agent near El Paso, Texas (2007-2015); served as field intelligence agent tracking cartels, drug and human smuggling
ICE: Deportation officer in Minnesota since 2015; assigned to fugitive operations; team leader on FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force; firearms instructor; SWAT team member; member of ICE special response team

Prior Incident: On June 17, 2025, Ross got his arm stuck in a vehicle window during an apprehension in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was dragged approximately 100 yards. He received 33 stitches. The suspect was convicted of assault on a federal officer.

Personal profile: Court records and social media show Ross described by family as a "hardcore conservative Christian and MAGA supporter" who displayed "Don't Tread on Me" flags. Social media posts revealed him arguing with family members about the Proud Boys.

The Two Narratives¶

The Federal Government's Story¶

DHS/Kristi Noem: Good committed "an act of domestic terrorism" by "weaponizing her vehicle" as a "deadly weapon." The agent acted in "self-defense."
President Trump: Good "viciously ran over" the ICE agent.
VP JD Vance: The footage proves self-defense; Ross "deserves a bit of gratitude."

What the Evidence Shows¶

House Oversight Committee: Claims Good "weaponized her vehicle" are "clearly false." Ross's video shows "a peaceful encounter."
Mayor Jacob Frey: "Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
Governor Tim Walz: Called it "the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict."
Police Chief Brian O'Hara: Called it "predictable and entirely preventable." When asked if Minneapolis PD would have handled it differently: "No question."
Multiple video analyses: Vehicle turning away from officer when shots were fired.
Videos contradict Trump's claim: Good's car did not knock Ross down. His legs were to the side of the SUV as it moved by.

Investigations -- and Their Obstruction¶

FBI: Warrant Rewritten¶

On January 7, FBI agents drafted a search warrant to obtain Good's car to reconstruct bullet trajectories as part of a standard civil rights investigation. They were ordered to rewrite the warrant, changing the investigation from a civil rights probe into a suspected assault on an officer — by Good. A federal magistrate judge rejected the rewritten warrant, noting that Good was already dead and could not be a suspect.

DOJ: Declined Civil Rights Investigation¶

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said there was "currently no basis" for a Civil Rights Division investigation. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon declined to open a constitutional investigation — which is standard practice whenever a federal officer kills a member of the public.

FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly intervened to stop agents from carrying out the civil rights investigation, fearing it would undermine President Trump's claims about the shooting.

DOJ: Pivoted to Investigate the Victim¶

Instead of investigating Ross, the DOJ:
- Focused its investigation on Becca Good (the victim's widow) for allegedly impeding a federal officer
- Announced probes into Governor Walz and Mayor Frey for "conspiracy to impede federal officers"

Mass Resignations (January 13, 2026)¶

Twelve or more federal prosecutors resigned in protest:

Civil Rights Division:
- Criminal section chief
- Principal deputy chief
- Deputy chief
- Acting deputy chief
- Additional prosecutors

Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office:
- Joseph H. Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney (17-year career; lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future fraud case that convicted 58 of 78 defendants)
- Five additional prosecutors

FBI:
- Tracee Mergen, FBI supervisor overseeing fraud and public corruption cases in the Minneapolis field office

Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed she fired the prosecutors, saying they "suddenly decided they didn't want to support the men and women at ICE."

The Minnesota U.S. Attorney's office, normally 80 prosecutors, was down to nearly half. The Civil Rights Division had lost hundreds of attorneys.

State Investigation Blocked¶

BCA head Drew Evans stated federal authorities "blocked" state investigators from accessing evidence. AG Ellison said he "could" bring charges but would not announce before the investigation was complete. The federal government was given a February 17 deadline to provide evidence.

Legal Actions¶

Minnesota v. DHS (Filed January 12, 2026)¶

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, joined by Minneapolis and Saint Paul, filed a federal lawsuit alleging:

Operation Metro Surge violated the First Amendment (political targeting of Minnesota based on voting habits and leaders' viewpoints)
Violated the Tenth Amendment
Violated the Administrative Procedures Act
Federal agents entered neighborhoods and businesses without warrants
Agents refused to identify themselves
Agents relied on racial profiling
Operation caused school lockdowns, business closures (50-80% revenue drops), and diverted local police resources

Court Rulings¶

Judge Katherine Menendez: Ordered federal agents to stop using pepper spray or nonlethal munitions against peaceful protesters (later paused by appeals court).

Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz (George W. Bush appointee, Scalia clerk): Found ICE violated at least 96 court orders in Minnesota in January 2026 alone.

"ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence."

"ICE is not a law unto itself."

Schiltz threatened to hold acting ICE Director Todd Lyons in contempt. There were 500+ habeas filings in January alone — on pace to more than double all of 2025.

Community Response¶

Immediate (January 7-9)¶

Protests erupted across Minneapolis
Community whistle brigades formed to alert neighborhoods to ICE presence
Encrypted chat groups organized community patrols
Local businesses opened doors for protesters
Governor Walz proclaimed January 9 as "Renee Good Day"

Nationwide (January 10+)¶

Protests spread to Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Washington D.C., and cities across the country.

The Second Killing: Alex Pretti (January 24)¶

Seventeen days later, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and VA intensive care nurse, was shot approximately 10 times and killed by CBP agents in Minneapolis — less than two miles from where Good was killed. Like Good, Pretti was not a target of immigration enforcement. Like Good's case, video evidence contradicted the government's narrative that Pretti was the aggressor.

Cultural Response¶

Bruce Springsteen composed "Streets of Minneapolis" the day Pretti was killed, recorded it three days later, and released it on January 28:

"I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It's dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good."

The song reached number one on YouTube (2.5 million views on release day) and topped the iTunes chart in 19 countries.

On January 30, Tom Morello hosted "A Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota" at First Avenue in Minneapolis, featuring Rise Against, Bruce Springsteen (surprise guest), Ike Reilly, and Al Di Meola. Morello paid tribute to George Floyd, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti. Proceeds went to the families.

One-Month Anniversary (February 7)¶

Thousands gathered at Powderhorn Park for a ceremony hosted by the Native Peoples of Mni Sota Makoce. Becca Good's statement, read by Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg:

"Renee was not the first person killed, and she was not the last. You know my wife's name and you know Alex's name, but there are many others in this city being harmed that you don't know."

Over 40 protesters were arrested at the federal building.

The Broader Pattern¶

Good's Killing in Context¶

Factor	Renee Good	Alex Pretti
Date	January 7, 2026	January 24, 2026
Location	34th & Portland, Minneapolis	Minneapolis (< 2 miles away)
Victim	37-year-old U.S. citizen	37-year-old U.S. citizen
Activity	Driving through neighborhood	Filming, directing traffic
Agency	ICE	CBP
Gov. claim	"Weaponized vehicle"	"Approached with a handgun"
Video evidence	Contradicts claim	Contradicts claim
Body cameras	Not worn	Not released
State access to evidence	Blocked	Blocked

Good's killing was the ninth time since September 2025 that ICE agents had opened fire on people in the United States.

No other homicides were recorded in Minneapolis from January 1 through January 7 — Good's death was the city's first recorded homicide of 2026, inflicted by a federal agent.

Minneapolis as Ground Zero¶

The twin killings transformed Minneapolis — a city still processing the trauma of George Floyd's murder in 2020 — into the epicenter of the 2026 anti-ICE resistance movement:

Minnesota National Guard activated
State sued DHS
Conservative federal judge found 96 ICE court order violations
12+ federal prosecutors resigned
FBI supervisor resigned
Tom Homan announced withdrawal of 700 agents (February 4)
State legislators nationwide introduced bills to limit ICE cooperation

Timeline¶

Date	Event
Dec 4, 2025	DHS announces Operation Metro Surge
Dec 2025	Nick Shirley's viral video alleging Somali daycare fraud
Jan 6, 2026	DHS deploys 2,000+ agents to Twin Cities
Jan 7, 2026	Renee Good shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross
Jan 7, 2026	DHS calls it "self-defense"; Noem calls Good a "domestic terrorist"
Jan 7, 2026	Mayor Frey and Governor Walz publicly challenge federal account
Jan 7, 2026	FBI warrant rewritten from civil rights probe to assault investigation
Jan 9, 2026	Ross's cell phone video released; Governor proclaims "Renee Good Day"
Jan 10, 2026	Nationwide protests begin
Jan 12, 2026	AG Ellison + Minneapolis + Saint Paul sue DHS
Jan 13, 2026	12+ federal prosecutors and FBI supervisor resign in protest
Jan 24, 2026	Alex Pretti killed by CBP agents in Minneapolis
Jan 28, 2026	Judge Schiltz finds 96 ICE court order violations
Jan 28, 2026	Springsteen releases "Streets of Minneapolis"
Jan 30, 2026	Defend Minnesota concert at First Avenue
Feb 4, 2026	Tom Homan announces withdrawal of 700 agents
Feb 7, 2026	One-month memorial at Powderhorn Park; 40+ arrests at federal building

Sources¶

This report draws on 40+ sources including:

National news: CNN, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, NPR, PBS, Washington Post, New York Times
Local news: MPR News, Star Tribune, Fox 9, KSTP, KARE11, Sahan Journal, Minnesota Reformer
Legal sources: Court filings, House Oversight Committee report, Minnesota AG complaint, Bloomberg Law
Government sources: Minneapolis city website, DHS press conferences, Congressional reports
Reference: Wikipedia, Britannica, Snopes
Cultural press: Rolling Stone, SPIN, The Current

Key source URLs:

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only