ICE Shooting in Minneapolis Was a Tragedy — Leaders Should Lower the Temperature

There are few certainties in life: death, taxes, the sun rising in the east — and partisan actors retreating to familiar corners after a tragedy. That pattern unfolded after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot and killed in Minneapolis during an encounter with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Authorities say the officer may have acted in self-defense, but the full facts remain under investigation.

Lawmakers and public figures reacted quickly and sharply. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the incident "murder," saying "murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted." Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said he was "disgusted" and urged that the officer be arrested and prosecuted. On the other side, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the woman's actions as "domestic terrorism," and former President Donald Trump said she "violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer." Social media amplified extreme characterizations, with some calling the killing an "execution" or "assassination."

Where the record is clear: the video circulating online does not unambiguously show an execution, an assassination, or that the officer was run over. Intent remains uncertain. From available footage, the officer is seen standing before and after the shooting; whether the woman intended to strike anyone or panicked and pressed the accelerator cannot be determined without a full investigation.

I watched the footage multiple times. It appears to show a situation in which deadly force may not have been the only option. The woman should not have stepped on the gas; that error cost her life. At the same time, it is reasonable to ask whether the officer could have repositioned or used nonlethal means — for example, aiming at tires — to end the threat. Split-second decisions are intensely difficult to judge from afar.

As The Washington Post editorial observed: "While additional information can always emerge, so far social media clips do not show a situation that would justify using deadly force. Disregarding instructions from police is unacceptable, and any violence against law enforcement ought to be prosecuted, but it’s unclear if the woman intended to hit anyone with her vehicle."

Public officials also share responsibility to avoid inflaming tensions. Criticism of ICE long predates this episode: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called ICE the "modern-day Gestapo" last year; California Gov. Gavin Newsom compared ICE to "secret police"; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned of a slide toward "Nazi Germany" over immigration enforcement practices. Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Sylvia Garcia have also made sweeping condemnatory remarks about ICE. Whether such rhetoric influenced the actions of Renee Macklin Good is unknown, but words from leaders matter and can shape public anger and perception.

The central point is simple: this is a tragedy that demands an orderly, impartial investigation. Premature political grandstanding — from any side — risks inflaming tensions and undermining public trust. Responsible leaders should emphasize facts, allow investigators to do their work, and avoid language that could escalate violence.

Conclusion: Wait for the evidence. Avoid inflammatory declarations. And above all, seek de-escalation.

About the author: Bernard Goldberg is an Emmy and Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University award-winning writer and journalist. He is the author of five books and publishes weekly columns, audio commentaries, and Q&As on his Substack page. Follow him @BernardGoldberg.

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