NEED TO KNOW

Independent preliminary autopsy findings have revealed further details about Renee Nicole Good’s death

The 37-year-old mother of three was found with four apparent gunshot wounds, the report obtained by PEOPLE stated

Good died after being fatally shot by an ICE agent on the morning of Jan. 7

On a cold January night in Minnesota, Renee Nicole Good’s life ended in a burst of violence that her family says demands a full public reckoning. As grief gives way to a determined search for truth, new details are emerging that deepen the urgency around her death — and raise questions that remain unanswered for now.

Good was found inside her car with four apparent gunshot wounds on Jan. 7. The 37-year-old mother of three had just dropped her 6-year-old child off at school before a fatal encounter with federal immigration agent Jonathan Ross, PEOPLE previously reported. He joined ICE in 2015 and was serving in 2025 as a firearms instructor and member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Courtesy of Romanucci & Blandin

Renee Nicole (left) and Becca Good (right).

Good was driving home in her maroon Honda Pilot with her committed partner, Becca Good, when they came upon a group of ICE agents. According to a Minneapolis police and fire department’s incident report obtained by PEOPLE, Good was discovered unresponsive in her car with blood on her face and torso at around 9:42 a.m. local time on the morning of her death.

The Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin — which in 2021 secured the George Floyd family a $27 million civil settlement with the City of Minneapolis and now represents Good’s family — has begun releasing information from its private investigation into Good’s killing, including preliminary findings from an independent autopsy commissioned at the family’s request.

According to the firm, the decision to make these details public reflects “continued transparency with the public on this tragedy,” a promise they say is central to their advocacy for Good and her loved ones.

The independent autopsy was conducted by what the firm describes as a highly respected and credentialed medical pathologist. Its preliminary conclusions paint a stark and unsettling picture of Good’s final moments.

The pathologist identified three clear gunshot wound paths to Good’s body. One bullet struck her left forearm, resulting in soft tissue hemorrhage. Another traveled through her right breast, but did not penetrate any major organs. The third gunshot wound proved fatal, as it entered the left side of her head near the temple and exited the right side of her head.

According to the findings, the gunshot wounds to the breast and left forearm were not immediately life-threatening. In addition to these injuries, the pathologist noted a fourth wound, described as a graze wound consistent with a firearm injury, but with no penetration.

The results of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy have not yet been released to Good’s family or their legal team.

Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty

A poster featuring Renee Good’s image on Jan. 8, 2026.

For the attorneys representing the family, the release of this information is not just about medical conclusions; it’s about accountability. Lead attorney Antonio M. Romanucci says the investigation is far from over, but he expresses confidence in where the evidence is leading.

“We believe the evidence we are gathering and will continue to gather in our investigation will suffice to prove our case," Romanucci’s statement read. "The video evidence depicting the events of January 7, 2026, is clear, particularly when viewed through the standards of reasonable policing and totality of circumstances. Additionally, our legal team will continue its unwavering and proactive advocacy for Renee’s life and her family.”

Ross remained on the scene after shooting Good. About 15 minutes later, he was taken to a federal building. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told PEOPLE on Jan. 14 that Ross was taken to the hospital that day and suffered internal bleeding in his torso, but declined to answer further questions about the incident. Regarding Ross’s condition, a Minneapolis FBI representative said, “No further information is available for release at this time in accordance with DOJ policy.”

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Ross hasn’t been accused of a crime. However, many use-of-force experts have criticized his actions. “In order to use deadly force, your life or someone else’s life must be in immediate danger,” said Chris Burbank, a former Salt Lake City police chief who doesn’t believe Good posed any such risk to Ross.

Federal officials said the FBI would handle the inquiry, contending that Minnesota authorities have no jurisdiction in the matter. In response, State Attorney General Keith Ellison called for “a fair, transparent investigation of all of the facts.”

Despite the Trump administration’s claims that Good was a “domestic terrorist” who deliberately sought to kill ICE agents with her car, her mother Donna and father Tim Ganger, along with Good’s four siblings, told PEOPLE Good "was a beautiful light of our family and brought joy to anyone she met. She was relentlessly hopeful and optimistic which was contagious. We all already miss her more than words could ever express."

Danielle Bacher

Vigil for Renee Good in January 2026.

Even as protests, vigils and political debate continue, just around the corner from where Renee was killed, her partner Becca is trying to pick up the pieces. As investigators continue their work and more evidence comes to light, her family insists that Renee’s life, and the truth about how it ended, will not fade quietly from public view.

In a statement, Becca spoke not only of loss, but of what comes next. “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him," she said.

Read the original article on People