The parents of Renee Good are remembering their daughter as joyful, compassionate and deeply devoted to her family, saying they hope her death will inspire unity in a divided country.
Good, 37, a mother of three, was shot and killed Jan. 7 during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Her death — and the killing of another U.S. citizen weeks later — sparked protests nationwide and renewed debate over federal immigration tactics.
Speaking in Denver, her parents, Donna and Tim Ganger, described their daughter as someone who loved “sparkles and laughter” and rarely met a stranger.
“She was slow to anger, quick to love, quick to care,” Tim Ganger said. “That’s the essence of who she was.”
Donna Ganger said her daughter had a gift for making others feel valued. “She had this way of making you feel special and loved that I didn’t even understand until we lost her,” she said.
Good had graduated from college later in life and was volunteering in a local school district while working as a substitute teacher at the time of her death. Her parents said she felt fulfilled pursuing education and working with children.
A Call for Unity
The Ganger family — including Good’s brothers Brent and Luke — said they hope their public reflections can help bridge political divides.
“We vote differently, and we rarely completely agree on the finer details of what it means to be a citizen of this country,” Luke Ganger said in testimony to Congress. “Yet we have always treated each other with love and respect.”
Tim Ganger said the family is searching for meaning in their loss.
“Our purpose through this whole tragic, difficult, unbelievable time, is to have something good come out of this,” he said. “Otherwise the senselessness of this is overwhelming.”
Donna Ganger added that while difficult conversations can strain families, they are necessary. “It’s important that we learn to be careful with our words, but share them in a deep way,” she said.
The Shooting
According to previously released video, Good was inside a red SUV during an immigration operation when officers approached and ordered her to exit the vehicle. As she began to pull forward, an officer fired into the vehicle, striking and killing her.
Her partner, Becca Good, and her 6-year-old son were present. The couple had recently relocated to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Missouri, and were living in a neighborhood known for civic activism.
On social media, Good described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom.” Her family said they want her to be remembered not for the circumstances of her death, but for the warmth and love she brought to others.
“She was quick to love,” her father said. “And that’s how we want people to remember her.”
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