An agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who shot and killed a woman during a protest in Minneapolis is reportedly not expected to face criminal prosecution. The fatal incident involving agent Jonathan Ross and 37-year-old mother-of-three Renee Good has taken a controversial turn, with federal authorities now shifting their investigative focus.
Investigation Focus Shifts Away from Agent
The FBI is conducting a detailed inquiry into the shooting that claimed the life of Renee Good. This includes scrutinizing the actions of agent Jonathan Ross and examining physical evidence, such as the handgun used. However, sources familiar with the case told The New York Times that the situation is developing in a surprising direction.
The Department of Justice's civil rights division, which normally handles investigations into shootings involving law enforcement, has not opened a probe into whether Ross violated Good's federal rights. According to the Times, it is "increasingly unlikely" that Ross will face any criminal charges for his role in the event.
Activists Under Scrutiny as Narrative Changes
Instead of pursuing charges against the agent, the Justice Department is now reportedly planning to investigate a broad group of activists who were part of Minneapolis neighborhood "ICE Watch" activities. Authorities reportedly believe these individuals were "instigators" of the confrontation that led to the shooting.
It remains unclear if Good, beyond participating in the protest on the day she died, had a deeper involvement in activism. The FBI is determined to uncover her connections. Friends say Good became engaged through her six-year-old son's charter school and its local ICE Watch group, a coalition aimed at disrupting immigration raids.
Witnesses maintain that Good and her wife, Rebecca, were acting as legal observers and filming the protest. In emotional footage from the scene, Rebecca cried, "I made her come down here, it's my fault," admitting she encouraged Good to confront the agents.
Contradictory Accounts and Official Statements
Surveillance footage shows Good blocking a road with her SUV for about four minutes before the shooting. Approximately twenty seconds after she stopped, a passenger, believed to be Rebecca, exited the vehicle to start filming. Other video shows an officer approaching Good's Honda Pilot, grabbing the door handle, and allegedly demanding she open it.
The vehicle then began to pull forward, prompting Ross to draw his weapon and fire three shots, jumping back as the car moved. It is not clear from available videos if the SUV made contact with him. After being shot, the vehicle crashed into two parked cars.
Top officials quickly defended the agent's actions. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Good's actions "an act of domestic terrorism" and described Ross as an experienced professional who followed his training, claiming he fired because he believed she was trying to run him over.
Former President Donald Trump called Good a "professional agitator" and claimed the shooting was in "self-defense." He later reiterated that she was "very violent" and "very radical," referring to both Good and her wife as "professional agitators" and suggesting authorities would investigate who was funding their activities.
The community and friends remember Renee Good differently. "She was a warrior. She died doing what was right," a mother from her son's school told The New York Post. Another added, "I know she was doing the right thing... she was doing everything right."
