House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed reporters in a U.S. Capitol hallway regarding the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Video of Johnson’s comments shared on X by Fox News Radio correspondent Ryan Schmelz. In the clip, Johnson defended the agent’s actions after viewing footage, stating that it appeared the driver had weaponized her vehicle against law enforcement officers and bystanders.
The shooting took place earlier that day around 9:30 a.m. near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue during an intensified immigration enforcement operation according to New York Times. Good, a U.S. citizen originally from Colorado, was pronounced dead at the scene despite aid attempts by Minneapolis police.
Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, described the shooting as self-defense, alleging Good attempted to ram agents with her vehicle—an action Noem called an “act of domestic terrorism.” However, local officials, witnesses, and bystander video footage disputed this, with some accounts indicating no immediate threat and describing the response as excessive. One witness reportedly shouted that the agent shot her in the face.
The incident sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and other cities, including Phoenix, Columbus, Los Angeles, and New York, with demonstrators demanding justice, an independent investigation, and ICE’s withdrawal from Minneapolis. Protesters blocked streets and threw snow and ice at officers, though no major clashes were reported initially. The event drew comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd, occurring nearby. Schools in Minneapolis closed due to safety concerns.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the federal presence as causing “chaos” and demanded ICE leave immediately, stating he stood “rock solid” with immigrant and refugee communities.
In the video, Johnson said: “I just saw the disturbing video. Obviously, it’s a serious situation. There is going to be a full investigation, as we all know and expect. But it appears to us—it appears to anybody who sees the video from certain angles—that the driver of the vehicle weaponized that vehicle against law enforcement officers and against bystanders.”
He called the outcome “really sad,” attributed it partly to “months-long rhetoric against law enforcement,” and urged calm in Minneapolis. Johnson questioned conflicting accounts, asking: “Is there any chance that all the perspectives are wrong?” His comments aligned with broader Republican support for the administration’s immigration efforts.
