Minnesota officials say the FBI blocked access to the ICE shooting investigation

Minnesota officials say the FBI has blocked their access to an investigation into the fatal shooting of a woman by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

People took to the streets of Minneapolis to protest the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good, who died Wednesday after being shot in her car.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused the Trump administration of blocking state officials from getting involved in the case, but the US vice-president said the investigation was a federal issue.

Officials offered different accounts of the incident, with the Trump administration claiming the ICE agent acted in self-defense, while local officials said the woman was in no danger.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem admitted that the ICE agent shot Good several times because he tried to run the officer over in his car.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said they will investigate the incident.

Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said the FBI initially agreed to a joint investigation with state officials but reversed course and denied the state access to materials and evidence.

Without the ability to access all the necessary case materials and evidence, the BCA “reluctantly withdrew” from the investigation, BCA superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Walz said he was concerned the federal government was unable to conduct an impartial investigation.

“It feels now that Minnesota has been removed from the investigation,” Walz said. “It feels very, very difficult that we can get a fair result.”

Vice President JD Vance told reporters Thursday that the investigation into the shooting is a federal issue, arguing that it is against precedent for a local official to be involved in prosecuting the case.

Videos of the incident show ICE agents approaching a vehicle in the middle of the road, and telling the woman behind the wheel to get out of the SUV. One of the agents pulled the door open on the driver’s side.

As the car tried to drive away, one of the agents pointed their gun at the driver and several shots were heard.

The car continued to drive away from the officer and crashed into the side of the road.

At the scene of Thursday’s crash, blood from the shooting is still visible in the snow. People held a vigil at the site to honor Good, lining the bank with candles and roses.

Hundreds of demonstrators showed up throughout the day, shouting insults at ICE and offering their neighbors coffee on a cold winter day.

Susie Hawyard, a minister, said she went to the scene of the shooting as soon as she heard the news to see “with my own eyes” what happened.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I saw the car, I saw Renee’s car, I saw Renee’s blood.”

Protesters also gathered at a federal building in Minneapolis early Thursday morning, where they were met by armed officers. The protests remained peaceful there, as residents expressed their anger at Good’s killing.

“They can’t get away with killing someone. There must be consequences for those actions,” said Gavin, one of many people outside the federal building.

Those who knew Good said he was a poet and guitarist who recently moved to the city of Minneapolis.

Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that her daughter “probably freaked out” during the confrontation with officers who saw her shot.

“He was very compassionate,” Ganger told the daily newspaper. “He took care of people his whole life. He was loving, forgiving and caring. He was a wonderful person.”

Even those who did not know Good said they were touched by his death.

“Renee is everything good in our community,” said Nimco Ahmad, a Somali immigrant who grew up just blocks from the incident.

Ahmad said he and others have come together to help ensure justice is served for Good.

Separating state authorities from investigating Good’s killing is likely to damage public trust, said Edward Maguire, a criminology professor at Arizona State University.

“From a criminological perspective, claims of jurisdiction in cases like this are often less about legal requirements and more about political efforts to control the investigation and shape its outcome,” he said.

But the state could still file criminal charges later against the federal officer who killed Good, said Bryna Godar, a staff attorney at the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

With additional reporting from Grace Goodwin