The wife of a Minnesota woman who was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis says the couple had stopped to support their neighbors on the day of the shooting, describing her spouse as a mother and community member who left behind a legacy of kindness.
“We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said in a written statement released Friday through Minnesota Public Radio. The statement marked her first public comments following the death of her wife, Renee Good, 37.
Renee Good was killed Wednesday after three Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers surrounded her Honda Pilot SUV on a snowy street just a few blocks from the couple’s home. Bystander video shows an officer approaching the stopped vehicle, ordering the driver to open the door and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle began to move forward, another officer standing in front of it drew his weapon and fired at least two shots at close range.
Trump administration officials have characterized Renee Good as a “domestic terrorist” who attempted to run over an officer. That account has been disputed by Minneapolis city officials, state leaders, and protesters, who have rejected the characterization.
Becca Good did not provide additional details about the shooting in her statement, instead focusing on honoring her wife’s life. The couple had recently moved to Minneapolis and were raising Renee Good’s 6-year-old son from a previous marriage.
Becca Good described her wife as a Christian who believed all religions share a common truth centered on love, compassion, and caring for others. She thanked supporters from across the country and around the world who reached out to the family.
“Renee sparkled,” she wrote. “She didn’t wear glitter, but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. Renee was made of sunshine.”
Renee Good was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and, according to available records, had never been charged with any crime beyond a single traffic ticket. On social media, she described herself as a poet, writer, wife, and mother, frequently sharing posts about daily life and creative interests.
Her ex-husband, who requested anonymity out of concern for the safety of their two teenage children, told the Associated Press that he had never known her to participate in protests.
Becca Good said the couple had relocated to Minneapolis after an extended road trip and felt a strong sense of community in the Twin Cities.
“We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness,” she wrote. “I am now left to raise our son and continue teaching him that there are people building a better world for him.”