Renee Good’s brother says he ‘can’t bring himself’ to watch footage of her death
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Renee Good’s brother spoke about the family’s experience since her death and explained why they’ve chosen not to watch the widely circulated video of the Minneapolis shooting that claimed her life, telling NBC News he “can’t bring myself to do that.”
Good, a 37‑year‑old mother of three, was shot dead on January 7 during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, an incident that triggered controversy and unanswered questions about the circumstances of the encounter with an ICE agent.
Renee Good’s family responds to viral footage
Much of Good’s family has made a conscious decision not to watch the widely shared video of her death. “I have not, I can’t bring myself to do that,” Good’s brother Brent Ganger said.
Her father, Tim Ganger, added that the family has “intentionally just let that go” to avoid reliving the moment. Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, said she did watch a small portion of the clip, specifically the moment when Good told ICE agent Jonathan Ross, “I’m not mad at you,” just before he fired.
Donna said that reaction “was so Renee.” Her brother Luke Ganger further described the family’s struggle with external narratives about Good’s death.
Luke said, “I feel like we’re the ones who know Renee, No one else knows Renee. I think at least for me, the default thing when you hear any of the noise is it’s just, I don’t know, to a certain degree it’s easy to tune out because it’s just, no one knew her.”
The family also said the Trump administration has not been in touch with them since the shooting. “There’s a reason that we hired our own investigators — to make sure that the truth is transparent and available, to make sure that this is really taken seriously and to make sure that we know what occurred,” Brent said.
Controversies around Renee Good's shooting and investigation
Good was fatally shot while allegedly observing immigration operations from her SUV in the Minneapolis area. She was ordered out of her vehicle by officers, and as she appeared to turn the car to drive away, ICE agent Ross fired multiple shots into the SUV.
Since the shooting, the family has felt alienated from broader narratives about what happened. The Trump administration swiftly described Good as someone who tried to use her car as a weapon, a characterization her family disputes.
Reports indicate several irregularities in the investigation. Federal officials reportedly declined to launch a civil rights investigation, choosing instead to push scrutiny toward Good’s partner, Becca and her ties to activist groups.
Additionally, federal prosecutors had planned to search Good’s vehicle soon after the shooting in a joint effort with state authorities, but were allegedly directed by senior FBI leadership to halt that effort.
State police in Minnesota say they have been blocked from accessing full evidence and thus have stepped back from conducting a local investigation. Multiple federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned, reportedly over disagreements with how the case was handled.
Good’s death also sparked widespread protests, and her family has retained a legal team that previously represented George Floyd’s family in their case. In the aftermath of the shooting and widespread protests, the Trump administration recently announced it is winding down the large‑scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
