In the aftermath of a fatal shooting in south Minneapolis, conservative voices have rallied behind an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has sparked intense debate as federal officials and conservatives characterize the victim as a “domestic terrorist” despite video evidence that appears to contradict this narrative.

Video footage from the scene shows an ICE officer approaching Good’s car and attempting to open the door as she begins to drive away. Another officer then draws his weapon and fires three shots into the vehicle, killing Good and causing the car to accelerate into a nearby telephone pole and parked vehicle.

Despite this visual evidence, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, issued a statement claiming Good was “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism.” This characterization has been widely repeated across conservative circles.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-N.C.) echoed this sentiment, placing responsibility on “politicians who incite hatred against law enforcement and then act shocked when violence follows.” Former President Donald Trump weighed in on his Truth Social platform, describing Good as “disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.”

Trump also referred to a witness at the scene as “obviously, a professional agitator.” ICE maintains that its officers “who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries,” though this claim has not been independently verified, particularly as another video appears to show the officer walking away from the scene after the shooting.

Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, described the observers as “violent rioters” and defended the officer’s actions as “defensive shots.” When questioned about video evidence contradicting their account, ICE simply repeated their initial statement and declined to identify the officer involved or confirm if additional footage would be released.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced plans to ask the Justice Department to “prosecute it as domestic terrorism,” claiming the incident was part of coordinated efforts where “people are being trained and told how to use their vehicles to impede law enforcement operations.”

According to Associated Press reporting, Good is at least the fifth person killed by ICE since the beginning of Trump’s second term. Previous fatalities include a person shot outside Chicago in September, two individuals struck by vehicles while fleeing immigration authorities, and a California farmworker who suffered a fatal neck injury during an ICE raid last July. No officers have been charged in connection with these deaths.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has forcefully rejected the administration’s characterization of events. “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly: That is bullst,” Frey stated during a press conference. In a subsequent CNN interview, he directly addressed the terrorism allegation, saying, “The narrative ICE is spinning immediately after this was that this was purely self-defense, and that the act by the victim was some sort of domestic terrorism — that, I’ll say it again, is bullst.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also weighed in, urging the public to “not believe this propaganda machine” after viewing the video himself. Walz promised “a full, fair and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice” and issued Minnesota’s National Guard a “warning order,” which he described as “a heads up for folks.”

According to the Associated Press, community members gathered at the shooting site Wednesday night for a vigil. Good’s ex-husband revealed that she had just dropped off her 6-year-old son at school when the fatal encounter occurred. He described her as a devoted Christian who loved singing in chorus during high school and studied vocal performance in college.

Good’s mother, Donna Granger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the family was notified of her death Wednesday morning. “Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Granger said. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”

The conflicting narratives surrounding Good’s death highlight deepening divisions over immigration enforcement tactics and raise serious questions about accountability within federal law enforcement agencies.