When the Victim Becomes the Target

The investigations following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis are taking a direction that reaches far beyond the specific operation. Federal investigators are not only examining the conduct of the ICE officer who fired three shots at the unarmed 37-year-old, but also possible links between the deceased and activist groups protesting the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy. According to individuals familiar with the proceedings, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is thus increasingly focusing on the victim’s own environment.

At the same time, the assessment is growing that the shooter is unlikely to face criminal charges. That could still change, it is said, but the signals so far point in a different direction. President Donald Trump set this line early. Just days after the shooting, he labeled Renee Good and her spouse Becca as paid agitators and publicly asked who was financing them. He provided no evidence. The case has since been classified as domestic terrorism.

This approach fits a familiar strategy. Instead of placing the responsibility for state violence at the center, the White House shifts the focus to protests and their alleged masterminds. Opponents of the administration are regularly marked as internal enemies. Critics see this as an attempt to politically reframe the fatal operation and to defuse investigations against federal officers. While representatives of the Justice Department emphasize that it is legitimate to investigate protests when they obstruct operations, former government lawyers warn against blurring the lines. Anyone who places an entire city’s activist spectrum under general suspicion risks criminalizing forms of political protest that are actually protected by the First Amendment. Especially in Minneapolis, where neighborhoods have for years organized themselves to monitor ICE activity, such an expansion could have a chilling effect.

Adding to this is the fact that federal authorities are largely excluding local investigators. While the federal government emphasizes that it is conducting a comprehensive investigation, the state and the city remain sidelined. According to official statements, investigators are reviewing the sequence of events, the weapon, and the conduct of the ICE officer Jonathan Ross. But an investigation by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, as was customary in comparable cases, has not yet been opened. At the same time, political rhetoric is sharpening the tone. Trump and his adviser Stephen Miller have for months spoken of a violent left-wing underground scene. Senior government officials have announced that they will move decisively against left-wing activists. In other states, cases have been brought against alleged antifa cells, often accompanied by public prejudgment.

In the Minneapolis case, the situation is different. So far, there is no indication that Renee Good or her environment planned or carried out violence. All that is known is that she and her wife wanted to support neighbors that day who were opposing an ICE operation. In a local chat group, Becca Good was described as a helper. In a statement, she later said they had whistles, while the officers had weapons. Nevertheless, the circle of those under review is being expanded. Investigators plan to question numerous people from the neighborhood monitoring network. Internally, they are considered possible instigators, even though no specific act is alleged against them. This approach reinforces the impression that not just a single shot is being investigated, but an entire milieu.

Particularly explosive is the early labeling as terrorism. Shortly after the shooting, government representatives described Renee Good as a domestic terrorist. Vice President JD Vance spoke of classic terrorism, and the Secretary of Homeland Security echoed this, stating that Good had used her vehicle as a weapon. These assessments were made before investigators had evaluated evidence. An analysis instead suggests that Good was trying to drive away, not attack.

Experts in terrorism law warn against such premature classification. In the past, there were clear procedures to determine whether an incident should even be considered terrorism. Anyone who skips this process turns the term into a political blunt instrument. This concern is reinforced by a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi that recently significantly expanded the definition of terrorism. It categorizes not only acts of violence, but also blocking officers or publishing their personal data as potential terrorist acts. It names political objectives clearly associated with the left spectrum, including resistance to immigration enforcement.

Whether the Minnesota investigation is officially being conducted as a terrorism case is all but confirmed, a designation that contradicts any solid foundation. Investigators can hardly escape it. It changes how protests are read and evaluated, even when no violence is present. This creates a picture that goes far beyond the death of Renee Good. A federal investigation that places the victim and her environment at the center. A political leadership that formulates blame early. And a legal framework that makes protest suspicious faster than state violence. In Minneapolis, not only an operation is being investigated. It is becoming visible how the boundary between legitimate clarification and political deterrence is shifting. America 2026.

To be continued .....