Minneapolis Mother and Poet Renee Nicole Good Identified As Individual Killed by ICE Agent

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet, writer, and mother, was identified as the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, a killing that has shaken her neighborhood and intensified anger toward ICE’s presence in residential communities. Good died just blocks from her home, leaving behind a young child and a family struggling to make sense of how a beloved neighbor lost her life so suddenly.

Her mother, Donna Ganger, said learning the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death was devastating. “That’s so stupid,” Ganger said. “She was probably terrified.” Rejecting claims that Good was involved in any kind of confrontation, Ganger added, “Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known… She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”

Friends and neighbors echoed that description. An Instagram bio described Good as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and shitty guitar strummer from Colorado; experiencing Minneapolis, MN.” Megan Kocher, who met Good weeks earlier, remembered her warmth: “She fed me tea and cookies at her house while we talked about school stuff.” Kocher called her “such a warm and loving mother,” adding, “This is tragic beyond words.”

Good’s former father-in-law, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., said she and his late son shared a 6-year-old child who now faces life without either parent. “There’s nobody else in his life,” he said. “I’ll drive. I’ll fly. To come and get my grandchild.”

Good was also an accomplished writer. While studying creative writing at Old Dominion University, she won an undergraduate poetry prize. A school bio once noted, “When she is not writing, reading or talking about writing, she has movie marathons and makes messy art.”

At a vigil, speakers honored Good as someone who showed up for others. “She was peaceful, she did the right thing,” said Jaylani Hussein. “She died because she loved her neighbors.” 

Another speaker rejected official narratives labeling her a threat, saying she was there “to watch the terrorists.”

Neighbors described a family always outside, playing and connecting. “It’s a beautiful family,” said Mary Radford through tears. “We’re gonna miss seeing them — forever.” For many, Good’s death stands as a painful reminder of how ICE operations continue to tear through communities, leaving grief, fear, and unanswered questions behind.

Our thoughts are with the family, friends and community.

Link: Star Tribune