need to know
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Renee Nicole Good, the wife of the mother of three who was shot to death by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 7, makes her first public appearance
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Becca Good took the stage in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 7 as hundreds gathered to honor Renee’s life
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Becca also shared in a new personal statement obtained by People: “Renee and I believe that if we live the way we want to live in this world every day, we can make it happen.”
The wife of Renee Nicole Good, the mother of three who was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis last month, has made her first public appearance and shared a new personal statement.
Becca Good reportedly took to the stage in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 7, as hundreds gathered to honor her late partner’s life, one month after her death at the age of 37. new york times.
Although Becca did not speak at the event, she shared a statement obtained by PEOPLE and read aloud by Rabbi Ariel Lekach-Rosenberg at the memorial service.
“Renee’s wife, Becca Goode, has been grieving alone for weeks,” Lekach-Rosenberg said at the public event. “This is a very important moment — Rebecca’s words to share with you. So, it’s my honor to be able to deliver Becca’s words to you.”
Becca began her remarks by thanking the Minneapolis community for its support.
“Minneapolis showed me that even in the midst of grief and fear, people still have each other’s backs. For that, I want to say thank you,” she wrote. “Thank you to this incredible community for showing up time and time again – organizing food and rides, making sure our kids were in school, checking on neighbors, and standing together in the cold. I’m proud to call Minneapolis my home.”
“Renee wasn’t the first person to be killed, and she wasn’t the last. You know my wife’s name, you know Alex’s name, but there are so many people in this city who you don’t know are hurting — whose families are hurting just as much as mine, even if they don’t look like mine,” she continued, referring to the Jan. 24 killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretty by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“They are neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates. We also have to know their names. Because this should not happen to anyone,” Becca said.
AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Becca also writes about her late partner’s work as a volunteer and teacher, and how she was always “there” as a mother and friend.
“[She was] Always willing to help and make things better for others. Seeing the world now celebrating the parts of her that I have always known—the kindness, the humor, the warmth—reminds me of her spirit,” she continued.
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Becca also talked about the couple’s 6-year-old son in her statement, saying: “Renee and I believe that if we live in the world we want every day, we can make that world a reality. So I do that every day, and every night, I kiss my son before bed and tell him things will get better.”
“Renee and I choose kindness. We believe every living being deserves the same care, treatment and dignity no matter who they are or what they look like,” Becca’s statement concluded. “This shouldn’t be radical. If it is, then I want Renee and our family to be known for the radical kindness we practice every day.”
In addition to sharing her 6-year-old child with her late husband, Timmy Macklin Jr., who died in 2023 at age 36, Renee is also the mother of two older children, a daughter from her first marriage and a son, ages 12 and 15, respectively, the Associated Press previously reported.
According to a previous report by People magazine, Renee had just sent her son to school on January 7 when she had a fatal conflict with federal immigration agents.
Her ex-husband told The Associated Press that she and Becca were driving home when they encountered a group of ICE agents. The man, who requested anonymity, said Renee and Becca moved to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Mo., last year.
The confrontation was captured on video by an ICE agent who was circling Renee’s Honda Pilot as she sat in the driver’s seat. Becca stood outside the car talking to agents, and video later released showed a black dog watching from the back seat with the window rolled down.
Octavio Jones/AFP/Getty Images
When Renee began moving her car, the incident quickly escalated, prompting an agent, later identified as Jonathan Ross, to shoot her. After Renee was shot and hit the road, the vehicle continued driving away. A voice from behind the camera is then heard saying: “F—ing bitch.”
A Minneapolis resident who lives near the shooting scene told PEOPLE they asked Becca shortly afterward if there was anyone they could call. Becca responded: “That’s my wife. They shot her in the head, man. That’s ridiculous!”
Renee’s sister Anne Ganger also reportedly attended Saturday’s memorial. era. She addressed the crowd and said she was “proud” of the Minnesota community coming together after her sister was killed.
“Those of us who don’t live in this part of Minnesota see this powerful work that you’re doing in the face of resistance, and it encourages us to reach out into our own communities. We’re so proud,” she said, choking back tears. “My family is so grateful to you. Thank you for being my sister’s home.”
“Renee is hilarious,” she added. “Every time I talk to her, I laugh until I cry, but she cries with me.”
“I think Renee’s advice to us right now is to take care of ourselves and take care of our neighbors,” Ganger concluded. “Being cared for by neighbors, resting and eating, playing and showing up.”
Read the original article on People
