MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis yesterday. We are continuing to learn more about that woman - Renee Nicole Good. At a press conference today, Vice President Vance described her this way.
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JD VANCE: That woman has - is part of a broader left-wing network to attack, to dox, to assault and to make it impossible for our ICE officers to do their job.
KELLY: Her friends and her family paint a different picture. So here to help us learn more about who she was, we have called on Paul Walsh, reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hey, Paul.
PAUL WALSH: Hey. Thank you for the opportunity.
KELLY: Hey. I know you've been talking with Renee Good's family. Let's start there. What did you learn about her?
WALSH: I had a brief conversation with her mother about five hours after the shooting. She seemed very reserved at first and reluctant to talk, but then after a couple of questions or two, she opened up and was - you know, expressed that her daughter had to be terrified, that she is not part of any network of anti-government, anti-ICE participants, and that - she just described her as the kindest person she's ever known.
KELLY: I can imagine how hard a call like that was for her. Renee Good was also a mom, is that right?
WALSH: Yes, three children. The best that I and my colleagues have determined, two are 15 and 12 and another one is around 6 years old.
KELLY: We mentioned - we just heard JD Vance there characterizing Renee as a radical leftist who was actively interfering with ICE operations. Obviously there's a lot we don't know. Obviously this investigation is ongoing. But is there evidence for that claim? Does that square with what you are hearing and learning on the ground?
WALSH: I would say that 80% of what the vice president said is not verified or there's nothing that we've seen - and we've got maybe eight to 10 reporters on the story - that she was a participant in any disruptive way, you know, as part of any conspiracy to thwart ICE. The best that we can tell either by the video or what people on the ground are telling us is that she was in the street, perpendicular to the curb and was being directed to leave and then started to leave, by the videos that we've seen, rather slowly. And then that's when the gunfire occurred from an officer who was somewhat in front of her.
KELLY: OK.
WALSH: As far as, you know, anything about, you know, her, you know, trying to harm the officer, I think that's something that is still left to investigators. And that's why we investigate - we - you know, the governments investigate these matters.
KELLY: Appreciate your being there asking questions, as are we, and we'll continue to do so. Just briefly, in about 30 seconds, can you get us up to speed on there were fears that there would be escalation. What is the situation in Minneapolis?
WALSH: Things are loud, but they're not anything close to what Minneapolis and Saint Paul went through during the George Floyd killing 5 1/2 years ago. We have identified the officer - the agent who committed the shooting.
KELLY: Right.
WALSH: And that's been a breakthrough. And so far, that hasn't really ignited any outrage either.
KELLY: OK. Paul Walsh, reporter from the Minnesota Star Tribune, thank you for your reporting.
WALSH: You're welcome. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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