The extended family of Renee Good is speaking out about the tragic death of the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week.
In interviews and a statement shared with the Guardian on Monday, relatives of Good’s late husband, Timmy Macklin Jr., opened up about the family’s “unimaginable loss,” describing Good as “an extraordinary mother, devoted, fiercely loving, and always putting her children at the center of the world. She was full of heart and never defined by malice.”
Macklin — the father of Good’s youngest child, a 6-year-old boy — died in 2023 at age 36. She also had two other children from a previous marriage: a 15-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son.
Good, who called herself a “poet and writer and wife and mom and s—ty guitar strummer from Colorado,” was fatally shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross inside her car on Jan. 7, just a few blocks from where she lived with her wife, Becca Good.
The shooting drew outrage from across the country and renewed scrutiny of ICE’s use of force, with advocates and lawmakers calling for accountability.
In the statement, Macklin’s mother and siblings urged those protesting for justice and reform to do so with “humanity, empathy, and care for the family most affected.”
“There’s been so much hateful rhetoric back and forth, and what’s been missed is painting a picture of who Renee was,” wrote Jessica Fletcher, Good’s former sister-in-law, on behalf of the family.
“It feels deeply wrong that Renee died in this way,” Good’s former mother-in-law, Charlene Fletcher, said, echoing that sentiment. “She had a beautiful voice that everyone should have had the chance to hear. The last thing Renee would have wanted was violence carried out in her name.”
Her relatives also said they hoped their devastating loss would result in consequential changes and lead to “fewer families having to endure this kind of pain.”
Despite not directly mentioning the Trump administration’s immigration policies in the statement, the family did reference the growing number of anti-ICE demonstrations being held in cities across the nation, thanking “everyone who has shown up, spoken out, and held space for the family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Good would have been there as well, “cheering on those who fight for justice and standing with the people, causes and community she loved,” the statement said.
The family hopes her legacy will inspire “accountability, compassion, and meaningful change.”
