Fact Check: Image Falsely Circulated as Photo of Minnesota Woman Killed by ICE Agent

Fabricated Image Falsely Identified as Woman Shot by Immigration Agent

A digitally created image circulating on social media has been falsely identified as showing Renee Nicole Good moments before she was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis last Wednesday. Digital forensics experts have confirmed the image appears to be AI-generated, highlighting growing concerns about misinformation during high-profile incidents.

Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, was observing an immigration enforcement operation when she was killed by a federal officer. According to the U.S. administration, the incident occurred during a crackdown on illegal immigration in the area.

Following her death, social media posts began circulating an image purportedly showing Good—a blonde woman sitting in the passenger side of a maroon vehicle speaking with a man wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vest. One post on X claimed, “The woman who was murdered by ICE today,” while another suggested she “looks to be a paid pro activist.”

However, multiple inconsistencies prove the image does not depict Good. Most notably, verified footage shows Good was in the driver’s seat when she was killed. In the United States, driver’s seats are positioned on the left side of vehicles, but the woman in the circulated image is clearly sitting on the right.

Additionally, cellphone footage captured by the officer involved in the shooting shows Good was wearing a light-colored striped coat with a red-hooded sweatshirt underneath. The woman in the false image wears a darker plaid jacket with no red garment visible. Reuters has also verified separate photos of Good confirming she had different facial features than the person shown in the social media image.

Location details in the image also raise red flags. While some background elements appear to match verified imagery and Google Street View of the shooting scene, digital experts identified inconsistencies with certain windows on visible houses that don’t align with real-world conditions.

J. Rosenbaum, an AI researcher at RMIT University in Melbourne, pointed out multiple technical issues indicating AI generation or manipulation. “The position and shadows of the nuts on the car wheels are inconsistent in the image, as are the lighting and reflections on the car’s exterior when compared with the lighting inside and the lighting on both persons’ faces,” Rosenbaum explained in an email to Reuters.

Sophie Nightingale, a senior lecturer in psychology at Lancaster University specializing in forensic identification and applied artificial intelligence, concurred with this assessment. She highlighted the unnaturally clean back wheel despite snowy conditions shown in the image as another telltale sign of digital fabrication.

The spread of this falsified image occurs amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement operations across the United States. The Biden administration has recently intensified deportation efforts targeting individuals in the country illegally, a move that has drawn both support and criticism from various political quarters.

Misinformation surrounding high-profile incidents has become increasingly common with the proliferation of AI image generation tools. Digital forensics experts warn that detecting such fabrications will become more challenging as the technology advances, making verification by trusted sources increasingly crucial for accurate public understanding of events.

The Minneapolis incident continues to be investigated by authorities, with additional details about the circumstances of Good’s death expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.