‘A beautiful light’: Renee Good’s family mourns her death amid push for ‘transparency’ after ICE shooting

The family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis, is mourning her death after announcing that their legal team has launched a civil probe into her case.

Good’s parents, Tim Ganger and Donna Ganger, along with her four siblings, told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday that they “miss her more than words could ever express” and thanked those in the community who have reached out to show their support for the family after Good’s death. Good was a mother to a 15-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old.

“We want to thank everyone who has reached out in support of Renee and our family. The kind of unending care we’ve been given during this time is exactly the kind that she gave to everyone,” the family said in the statement.

Remembering Good as a “beautiful light” who brought “joy” to everyone she encountered, Good’s family said that the kindness they have experienced since her death is “the kind of unending care” that Good, whom they nicknamed “Nae Nae,” gave to everyone during her life.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that Good was allegedly attempting to run over law enforcement officers in an act of domestic terrorism when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot her. But leaders in Minneapolis have disputed this claim and condemned the ICE agent’s actions.

According to an ABC News analysis of verified video, including new footage that emerged on Jan. 9, Good could be seen turning her car’s steering wheel to the right, away from the ICE agent who shot her, just over one second before the first of three gunshots was fired.

Ross, who fatally shot Good in the alleged car-ramming incident, suffered internal bleeding, multiple U.S. officials familiar with his medical condition told ABC News, but the extent of his injuries is unclear.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that aired on Sunday that Good had been “protesting” ICE activity in the city and harassing law enforcement officers in Minneapolis.

“She was impeding law enforcement operations” moments and hours before the fatal shooting, Noem added.

Good’s death has led to widespread protests in Minneapolis, with advocates calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a civil rights investigation into her death.

“There is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on Tuesday.

The FBI is leading the investigation into Good’s death and state and local officials have expressed frustration that the FBI is not sharing details of its probe.

Amid questions over the nature of the investigation, at least six federal prosecutors in Minneapolis resigned out of concerns that the DOJ is focusing on investigating Good for alleged ties to groups that have been protesting or impeding immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis, multiple officials told ABC News Tuesday.

Good’s family, which is represented by the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin, announced on Monday a civil investigation into her death, saying in a statement to ABC News that the family is “calling for peace” and “transparency” as they seek answers about the circumstances that led to her fatal shooting.

Romanucci & Blandin, a Chicago-based law firm, represented George Floyd’s family following his death in May 2020. The firm also represents Good’s widow, Rebecca Good.

Family attorney Antonio M. Romanucci said on Monday that people across the country “truly care about what happened to Renee Good” and the legal team is committed to “promptly and transparently” providing the public updates on this case.

“What happened to Renee is wrong, contrary to established policing practices and procedures, and should never happen in today’s America,” the family attorneys said in the statement. “Be Good. That is the clear message from her family as Renee’s wish to the world. These words also encompass the mission of their attorneys, who they have retained to not only seek accountability for her death but also to honor her life with progress toward a kinder and more civil America.”

In the statement they shared with ABC News on Wednesday, Good’s parents and siblings described the mother of three as their “best friend” who had a “seemingly infinite capacity for love.”

“Nae-Nae gave everything she had to take care of her friends and family, and indeed people she never met,” they said in the statement to ABC News. “If there was any celebration for any one of us, Nae amplified it. If there was sorrow, she was with you for all of it. Nae found joy in others being comforted and was herself a fountain of comfort. She was our protector, our shoulder to cry on, and our scintillating source of joy.”

The family also said that in writing this statement, they missed Good’s “gentle guidance” and “eloquence” as she used to edit all of their writings.

Reflecting on how Good lives on in their memories and in their interactions with each other, Good’s family said that they will honor her memory and her “abundant heart” by “imitating” her “unending care” as they move forward.

“She is in the tight hug we offer each other as we lean on the counter. She’s in the goofy cackles we elicit in each other as we recall sweet memories, and she’s in the tears we leave on each others’ shirts,” they said. “She is in the flow state that comes when your spirit is creating something passionate to share with others. Her voice is the one singing the song stuck in your head. More than anything, she is there when your heart breaks and fills for another person.”

ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Mike Levine, Luke Barr, Kerem Inal, Chris Looft,Jared Kofsky, Josh Margolin and Matt Foster contributed to this report.