ATLANTA — Vigils and protests were held across the country Wednesday night following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, including a demonstration in metro Atlanta.
Demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Atlanta for a candlelight vigil and rally in remembrance of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Protesters chanted “no justice, no peace,” calling the shooting unacceptable. Additional demonstrations are planned in Atlanta Thursday.
White House officials have defended the agent, saying Good attempted to run over an officer and that the shooting was an act of self-defense. However, Minneapolis city leaders are disputing that account.
According to reporting from Jonah Kaplan, the mayor of Minneapolis rejects the Department of Homeland Security’s narrative and places blame on the federal government, calling ICE operations in the city antagonistic.
Emily Heller, who lives near the scene of the shooting, told CNN she heard the commotion and ran outside. She says Good was inside a vehicle blocking an ICE convoy.
“That’s when she got spooked and reversed her vehicle to turn her wheels to try to escape, and that’s when an ICE agent stepped in front of her vehicle and said ‘stop,’” Heller said. “She was already moving, and then point blank shot her through her windshield.”
Video shows Good reversing her vehicle as an agent appears to reach for the door handle, before another agent moves in front of the SUV. As the vehicle moves forward, that agent draws his weapon and fires.
The shooting is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Minnesota state authorities. The incident happened less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has challenged Homeland Security’s claim that Good threatened officers with her vehicle, citing video evidence. Ellison says federal authorities should not be investigating themselves.
“It’s outrageous. It is a predictable, foreseeable outcome,” Ellison said.
ICE released a statement saying its agents are facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats, blaming what it calls constant attacks and “demonization” by “sanctuary politicians.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has described the driver’s actions as an act of domestic terrorism.
The shooting has heightened tensions between Minnesota officials and the federal government, with the mayor of Minneapolis calling for ICE to leave the city. More protests are planned Thursday in Atlanta and around the country.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story.
