🚨 TOUCHING TRIBUTE: Childhood Friend Breaks Silence on Renee Nicole Good — “She Would’ve Brought Peace Into the US and the World” 😢🕊️

After the heartbreaking ICE shooting that took her life, a lifelong friend remembers Renee as the warm, creative soul who made everyone feel safe and loved. She was the kind of person you could trust with your deepest secrets — steady, kind, and full of compassion.

Friends and classmates say her light was infinite: a devoted mom, award-winning poet, and someone who nurtured kindness wherever she went. This loss has left the world dimmer, but her legacy of peace and love lives on.

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In the wake of the January 7, 2026, fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, those who knew her best are sharing memories that paint a portrait of a woman defined by warmth, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to kindness. A childhood friend, speaking publicly for the first time since the tragedy, described Good as someone who “would’ve brought peace into the US and the world” if given more time, highlighting the profound loss felt by family, friends, and a grieving community.

Good, a U.S. citizen, mother of three, award-winning poet, and recent Minneapolis resident, was fatally shot during an immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Witnesses and family say she had just dropped her 6-year-old son at school and stopped to observe or support neighbors amid the ICE activity. Video footage shows Good calmly telling an agent, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you,” before the situation escalated, with ICE agent Jonathan Ross firing multiple shots. Federal officials maintain the agent acted in self-defense after Good allegedly accelerated toward him, while critics and family dispute this, pointing to synced bystander videos showing her turning away.

Amid the ongoing investigations by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI, tributes have flooded in, focusing on Good’s life rather than the circumstances of her death. Her childhood friend Megan Shirley, in an interview with People magazine, recalled growing up with Good in Colorado Springs, where they bonded over music and creativity. “She was the kind of person you could be yourself around and she would keep your secrets,” Shirley said. “You felt safe with her — emotionally safe. She wasn’t loud or demanding; she was steady, kind, and like home.” Shirley added that Good’s presence brought comfort to everyone, and her potential to spread peace globally was immense. “She would’ve brought a lot of good into the world if she was allowed to be here a little bit longer.”

Good’s early life in Colorado Springs was rooted in faith and service. As a teenager, she participated in church mission trips, including one to Northern Ireland in the mid-2000s, where she helped communities and formed lasting connections. Friends from that time remember her as outgoing, gentle, and deeply caring. She excelled in creative pursuits, studying English at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where she graduated in 2020 while balancing motherhood. There, she won the Academy of American Poets Prize for her poem “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” a work reflecting her insight into life, hardship, and wonder.

Good was a devoted mother to three children: a 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son from her first marriage, and a 6-year-old son shared with her late second husband, Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., who passed away in 2023 at age 36. Family members, including her mother Donna Ganger, described her as “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known” — extremely compassionate, loving, forgiving, and affectionate. “She’s taken care of people all her life,” Ganger told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “She was an amazing human being.”

Her wife, Becca Good, released a heartfelt statement days after the shooting, shared with Minnesota Public Radio. Becca described Renee as someone who “literally sparkled,” living by the belief that “there is kindness in the world and we need to do everything we can to find it where it resides and nurture it where it needs to grow.” She noted that the couple had moved to Minneapolis less than a year earlier seeking safety and community after challenges in previous locations. “The kindness of strangers is the most fitting tribute,” Becca wrote, thanking supporters nationwide and worldwide.

Classmates and friends from university and beyond echoed these sentiments, remembering Good as a creative force — a poet, writer, singer, and hobby guitarist who shared her heart through art and words. She co-hosted a podcast with her late husband and used her talents to connect with others. Neighbors in her Powderhorn neighborhood recalled warm conversations, shared tea, and her attentiveness as a parent. One friend highlighted her ability to make people feel seen and valued, saying the world feels “quieter” without her.

The family, represented by civil rights attorneys from Romanucci & Blandin, has emphasized Renee’s role as a “beautiful light” who brought joy and comfort. In a statement to ABC News, her parents and siblings called her their “best friend” with an “infinite capacity for love.” They urged the public to remember her as an “agent of peace” rather than politicize her death, while calling for transparency and accountability.

Vigils and memorials have sprung up across Minneapolis, with items like stuffed animals from her son’s glove compartment symbolizing her nurturing nature. A GoFundMe for the family raised over $1.5 million before closing, reflecting widespread support. Protests continue, with community leaders and officials like Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey condemning the force used and advocating for oversight in federal operations.

DHS defends the agent’s actions, citing self-defense amid a large-scale immigration crackdown. No charges have been filed against Ross, and the DOJ has stated no basis yet for a civil rights probe, though investigations proceed.

As tributes continue, Good’s legacy endures through memories of her compassion and creativity. Her childhood friend’s words capture the sentiment shared by many: she had the potential to foster peace and kindness on a larger scale. The tragedy has united people in grief and calls for justice, ensuring her story — one of love, faith, and humanity — is not forgotten.