Steve Grove and Austin Balen Not Identified as ICE Officer Who Fatally Shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis

Authorities have clarified that Steve Grove and Austin Balen are not the names of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman killed Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis.

Misinformation circulating online had incorrectly identified Grove and Balen as the ICE agent responsible. Federal officials have not released the name of the officer involved in the shooting.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that an ICE officer fatally shot Good during an immigration-related operation near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, an area where federal and local law enforcement had been clashing with protesters for several hours.

Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, has since been identified as the woman killed in the encounter. Family members say she leaves behind a young son, whose father died several years ago.

“There’s nobody else in his life,” the child’s grandfather, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., told the Minneapolis Star. “I’ll drive. I’ll fly. To come get my grandchild.”

Good’s family strongly disputes claims that she was involved in protest activity. Her mother said Renee was not demonstrating and described her daughter as a compassionate and selfless person.

“Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” her mother said. “She was extremely compassionate. She took care of people her entire life. She was loving, forgiving, and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”

The shooting has sparked widespread outrage and drawn national attention as questions continue to mount about ICE’s use of force during enforcement operations.

In response to the incident, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement expressing solidarity with Minneapolis following the killing of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration agent. Chicago was recently the focus of heightened ICE enforcement efforts known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Local and federal authorities have turned the investigation over to the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force. As of now, no body-camera footage or additional details about the officer involved have been released.

The case remains under active investigation.