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“She Was Probably Terrified”: Minneapolis Erupts After ICE Officer Shoots Woman Dead
A city pushed to breaking point
Minneapolis woke up angry on Wednesday night.
By the time the sun set, thousands of people were pouring into the freezing streets, chanting for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave their city. Handmade signs reading “ICE out of MPLS” bobbed above winter jackets and scarves, while police sirens echoed through neighbourhoods already shaped by years of tension between residents and law enforcement.
At the centre of the outrage was the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, an American woman shot at point-blank range by a masked ICE officer.
What happened on the street
According to witnesses and video circulating online, Good was inside a Honda SUV when federal immigration officers surrounded her vehicle, claiming it was blocking their movement. As she appeared to try to drive away, an officer fired three shots into the car.
Moments later, the SUV veered out of control and slammed into parked vehicles. Footage shows horrified bystanders screaming abuse at the officers as Good’s bloodied body slumped inside the wreck.
Witnesses described a chaotic and disturbing scene. One said a man who identified himself as a doctor tried to reach Good but was turned away by officers. Another recalled seeing the surviving passenger climb out of the vehicle, covered in blood.
Clashing versions of the truth
The Trump administration moved swiftly to frame the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism,” claiming Good had tried to kill the agents by using her vehicle as a weapon.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey didn’t mince his words, publicly calling the claim “bullshit” and demanding that ICE withdraw from the city altogether.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz echoed that anger, labelling the federal response “propaganda” and promising a full and independent investigation.
Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, told local media her daughter was likely terrified and insisted she was not involved in any organised action against ICE.
A wider fight over ICE’s role
The shooting didn’t happen in isolation. Minneapolis has been a flashpoint for protests against aggressive immigration enforcement, especially under President Donald Trump’s second term, which has prioritised mass deportations and sweeping immigration raids.
ICE has expanded rapidly, with the Department of Homeland Security pushing to recruit thousands of new agents a move critics say has led to poor training and an increasingly militarised presence on city streets.
Up to 2,000 federal officers were reportedly deployed in Minneapolis during recent immigration operations, despite strong opposition from local leaders.
Why this case struck a nerve
For many residents, the fact that the victim was an American citizen shattered official narratives and deepened mistrust. Social media lit up with anger, disbelief and comparisons to past incidents where federal force clashed with local communities.
“This could have been anyone,” read one widely shared post. “That’s why people are scared.”
As investigations begin, Minneapolis finds itself once again asking hard questions about power, accountability and how far federal authority should go, questions that feel painfully familiar in a city that has already paid a heavy price for conflict between the state and its people.
For now, the streets remain loud, cold and restless and the calls for answers are only growing louder.
{Source: IOL}
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