The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday defended a federal immigration enforcement agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, claiming the victim was committing “an act of domestic terrorism” by “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them.” Video footage taken by eyewitnesses and described in multiple reports has undermined that account, prompting sharp rebukes from Minnesota officials who say the federal government’s narrative does not match what the videos show.
The woman killed was identified by her mother as Renee Nicole Good, a 37 year old U.S. citizen and the mother of a 6 year old child whose father died in 2023. Good was shot Wednesday morning while driving a sport utility vehicle in south Minneapolis during heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Twin Cities. DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good was shot in self defense while committing “an act of domestic terrorism.”
According to descriptions of multiple videos cited in the reporting, the encounter unfolded on a residential street where federal agents were operating. One video begins with Good sitting in her car, which was positioned perpendicular to the street. Several officers are seen approaching the vehicle, and at least one officer is heard telling her to exit. It is unclear what instructions other officers may have been giving at the same time.
As one officer attempts to open the driver’s door, the vehicle moves slowly backward as the wheels turn, then begins moving forward. As the car moves ahead, an agent standing near the driver side bumper draws his gun and fires multiple shots at the driver. Reporting states that four shots were fired. Only after the gunfire does the vehicle accelerate, crashing into an electric pole and another parked car. Law enforcement authorities and witnesses said Good was shot in the face and head.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the video footage contradicts the federal government’s claims. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Frey rejected the DHS framing. “So, they are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” he said. “Having seen the video of myself, I want to tell everybody directly: That is bullshit. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.” Frey later addressed federal immigration authorities directly, telling ICE, “Get the fuck out of Minneapolis!”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz echoed that assessment after reviewing the footage himself. “I’ve seen the video,” Walz said. “Don’t believe this propaganda machine. The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.” Walz announced that he had issued a warning order to the Minnesota National Guard, placing troops on standby as protests erupted in response to the shooting.
Walz also criticized the speed with which federal officials labeled the killing. “We’re not living in a normal world,” he said, questioning how DHS could assign motive before a full investigation had begun. Turning to the broader immigration crackdown, Walz warned, “We’ve been warning for weeks that the Trump administration’s dangerous, sensationalized operations are a threat to our public safety and that someone was going to get hurt.” He added, “What we’re seeing is the consequence of governance designed to generate fear, headlines, and conflict. It’s governing by reality TV. And today that recklessness cost someone their life.” Walz concluded with a message aimed at the White House, saying, “From here on, I have a very simple message: We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem: You’ve done enough.”
President Donald Trump offered a sharply different account in a post on Truth Social. Trump claimed that Good “was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting” and “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over” an ICE officer, forcing the agent to fire his weapon in self defense. He further claimed that it “is hard to believe” the officer “is alive.”
Descriptions of the video footage cited in the reporting do not support those claims. Eyewitness videos do not show an officer being run over. Instead, the agent can be seen stepping out of the way as the vehicle begins moving forward and later walking around after discharging his weapon, with no visible signs of injury. The video Trump posted, according to the reports, does not depict an officer being struck by the vehicle.
The discrepancy between the president’s claims and the video evidence drew immediate scrutiny from journalists and researchers referenced in the articles. The New Republic’s Greg Sargent, after examining the footage Trump shared, said it “demonstrates nothing close to what” the president claimed. “This is a sick, malicious lie from Trump,” Sargent said.
Sam Stein of The Bulwark also challenged Trump’s account, writing on X, “Hard to believe the ICE officer is still alive, writes the president,” referring to “an ICE officer who was not hit at all and was well enough to go run down the street to check on the woman he had killed.”
Johns Hopkins University economist Filipe Campante said the president’s approach reflected a broader propaganda strategy. “That he chooses the ‘me or your lying eyes?’ approach, in the full knowledge that there are multiple videos out there, is a striking commentary on the nature of propaganda in the modern information environment,” Campante wrote. “Censorship is no longer viable, so the approach is to use your own content provision to drown out any negative facts/evidence.”
Disinformation researcher Kate Starbird warned that the messaging could still shape public perception despite contradictory evidence. “The right-wing bullshit machine is operating at full steam and across all cylinders today,” Starbird wrote, “strategically framing the horrific ICE killing of a Minnesota woman to defend/bolster their political aims. For example, Trump’s message… will shape how his supporters (willfully mis)interpret the video evidence.”
The shooting sparked large demonstrations in Minneapolis, where hundreds gathered at the site of the killing and at other locations including the Hennepin County Courthouse. Protesters chanted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” while calling for federal immigration agents to leave the city. “ICE out Now!” demonstrators shouted outside the courthouse. Additional emergency protests were announced in cities across the country.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar condemned the shooting as “unconscionable and reprehensible,” accusing the Trump administration of “unleashing violence” and “terrorizing neighborhoods,” particularly in communities already targeted by aggressive immigration enforcement.
As investigations move forward, Minnesota officials have continued to reject the Trump administration’s initial characterization of the killing. “Don’t believe this propaganda machine,” Walz said. “The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”
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