The Trump administration’s FBI has assumed full control of the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.
The shooting occurred early Jan. 7 during a federal immigration enforcement operation, as CatholicVote previously reported. Good, a U.S. citizen who was not the target of the operation, was pronounced dead at the scene after an ICE agent fired into her vehicle.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans said state investigators were initially assigned to conduct a joint probe with the FBI. But then the local investigation was cut out.
“The investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation,” Evans said in a Jan. 8 statement.
He added that state officials now expect the FBI to complete the investigation and share its findings with “the appropriate prosecutorial authorities” at both the state and federal levels.
Minnesota leaders sharply criticized the decision. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said during a Jan. 8 press conference that the move undermined transparency and accountability and made it “very difficult that we will get a fair outcome.”
The City of Minneapolis echoed those concerns in a post on X, calling for a “clear and transparent process that includes state investigating agencies.”
Asked about the development, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Minnesota authorities “don’t have any jurisdiction in this investigation,” according to ABC affiliate KULR-8.
The Trump administration’s response to the shooting
The Trump administration has defended the ICE agent’s actions, framing the shooting as self-defense during a volatile enforcement operation. Speaking at a White House briefing Jan. 8, Vice President JD Vance called the shooting tragic but rejected claims that Good was an innocent bystander.
“I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe, against our law enforcement officers,” Vance said.
He acknowledged uncertainty about Good’s intent but said the agent had “every right to defend himself.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, video footage and eyewitness accounts show ICE officers approaching Good’s vehicle, attempting to open the door, and ordering her to exit. Authorities say Good then reversed the SUV and drove forward toward an agent standing in front of the vehicle. The agent was struck, moved aside, and fired three shots through the window. Good was pronounced dead at the scene.
Vance also said the ICE agent who fired the shots had been dragged by a vehicle during an arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota, about six months earlier, and had required several stitches. According to a June DHS press release, the agent was dragged roughly 50 feet after the driver put the car in drive while the officer’s hand was inside the vehicle.
“So you think maybe he’s a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?” Vance said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the shooting occurred amid what she described as a broader effort by Democrats and left-wing activists to obstruct immigration enforcement.
“They don’t want our border secured or criminal illegal aliens being removed,” Leavitt said. “As a result, Democrats are impeding immigration enforcement operations daily, creating extremely heightened and dangerous circumstances that make it nearly impossible for the men and women of law enforcement to simply do their job.”
In a Jan. 8 social media post, Attorney General Pam Bondi warned Minnesotans to steer clear of federal agents operating in the state, saying anyone who obstructs or impedes them will face arrest and prosecution.
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