The family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old woman who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week following a confrontation involving her SUV, has issued an emotional public statement after being overwhelmed by false and damaging rumors circulating online. Relatives say they felt compelled to speak out after unsubstantiated claims about Good’s past began spreading rapidly on social media, adding further pain to an already devastating loss.
In a message posted to Facebook on Monday, Renee Good’s sister-in-law, Morgan Fletcher, explained that the family had initially chosen to remain silent as they struggled to process their grief. According to Fletcher, the family needed time to come together, gather their thoughts, and release a unified statement amid the intense national attention surrounding Good’s death.
“You never imagine that losing someone you love will suddenly become a public spectacle,” Fletcher wrote. “You never expect it to turn into something political, divisive, and debated by people who never knew her.”
Fletcher described the emotional toll the situation has taken on the family, emphasizing that while many messages of sympathy and support have been received, they have also been confronted with cruel commentary and misinformation. She addressed false claims suggesting that Good had a criminal record, stating unequivocally that those allegations are untrue.
The New York Post found no evidence that Renee Good had any criminal history. Nevertheless, a widely shared image circulating online — reportedly featuring a mugshot that may have been generated using artificial intelligence — lists fabricated charges and arrests dating back several years. The family says the spread of this false information has been especially painful.
“People are tearing apart the memory of someone who cannot defend herself,” Fletcher wrote. “They are posting lies about her life, her character, and her past. She did not have a criminal record.”
Fletcher urged the public to remember that regardless of opinions about immigration enforcement or the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Renee Good was first and foremost a human being. She was a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a mother whose children may one day encounter the damaging narratives being shared about her online.
“No matter where you stand on ICE, or what you think about what happened that day,” Fletcher wrote, “please remember that there are children who lost their mother and loved ones who are trying to survive unimaginable grief.”
Good’s death has sparked large-scale demonstrations across Minneapolis, with protests intensifying in the days following the shooting. Police estimate that tens of thousands of people have participated in rallies and marches opposing the continued presence of ICE in the Twin Cities. Emotions have remained high as demonstrators demand accountability and transparency.
The shooting occurred amid a significant increase in federal immigration enforcement activity in the region. According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 2,000 federal agents had arrived in the area as part of what officials described as the largest immigration enforcement operation in the region’s history.
Tensions escalated further last Friday when rumors spread that ICE agents were staying at a downtown hotel. Minneapolis police reported that a large crowd gathered outside the Canopy Hotel, and some demonstrators forced their way inside through an alley entrance. Officers said bottles, rocks, and snowballs were thrown during the unrest, though no serious injuries were reported.
Authorities confirmed that dozens of arrests have been made across the city in connection with the protests.
As investigations into the shooting continue, Good’s family says their priority remains protecting her memory and shielding her children from further harm. Fletcher’s message ended with a plea for compassion, asking the public to resist spreading rumors and to recognize the profound human cost behind the headlines.
“We are grieving heavily,” she wrote. “And we are asking for decency, empathy, and truth.”
