In a deeply disturbing incident in Minneapolis, a physician was forcibly prevented from providing medical aid to a dying woman who had been shot by agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The victim, identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen and mother of three, later succumbed to her injuries, sparking widespread condemnation and conflicting accounts from authorities and eyewitnesses.
A Plea for Help Denied
According to multiple social media videos and witness testimonies from the scene in south Minneapolis, a man who identified himself as a doctor pleaded with federal agents to let him check the pulse of the wounded woman and administer critical first aid. His urgent requests were met with a stark refusal. In one video, an ICE agent can be heard responding, "I don't care," before physically blocking the doctor's path. Bystanders reported that agents claimed they had their own medics and prevented anyone from approaching Good as she bled out.
Further compounding the tragedy, witnesses stated that ICE vehicles initially blocked arriving ambulances from accessing the location. Emergency medical responders were eventually allowed through, but it was too late. Renee Nicole Good was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
Conflicting Narratives of the Shooting
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE issued a statement claiming the fatal shooting occurred during an immigration enforcement action. They alleged that an agent opened fire multiple times in "self-defence" after Good attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers and tried to run them over.
This official account has been vehemently disputed by Democratic leaders and multiple eyewitnesses. They contend that Good posed no immediate threat to the agents at the moment the shots were fired. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and representative Zohran Mamdani were among those who condemned the killing, calling it the brutal death of an innocent American citizen.
Outrage and a Life Remembered
The incident has ignited fierce political debate. While local leaders demanded accountability, former President Donald Trump and his then-Vice President Mike Pence defended the ICE agent's actions, asserting they were justified.
Meanwhile, friends and family remembered Renee Nicole Good as a poet and writer with no history of violent behaviour. She had studied creative writing and won an undergraduate poetry prize in 2020. Relatives suggested she was likely terrified during the encounter with heavily armed agents. Her death leaves behind three children and a community questioning the use of lethal force and the denial of basic medical compassion.
