Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by Ice officer

Minneapolis is on edge after the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officer taking part in the US government’s latest immigration crackdown.

The Governor of the state of Minnesota is calling for people to remain calm and schools have cancelled classes and activities as a safety precaution.

State and local officials demanded Ice leave Minnesota after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. But Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said agents will remain.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area in what it says is its largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Ms Noem said more than 1,500 people have been arrested.

Ms Macklin Good’s killing on Wednesday morning in a residential neighbourhood south of the city centre was recorded on video by witnesses and by the evening hundreds of people came out for a vigil to mourn her and urge the public to resist immigration enforcement. Some then chanted as they marched through the city, but there was no violence.

“I would love for Ice to leave our city and for more community members to come to see it happens,” said Sander Kolodziej, a painter who came to the vigil to support the community.

The videos of the shooting show an officer approaching a four-wheel drive vehicle stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to drive forward, and a different Ice officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer, and there is no indication of whether the woman had interactions with Ice agents earlier. After the shooting the vehicle speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.

In another recording made afterwards, a woman who identifies Ms Macklin Good as her spouse is seen crying near the vehicle. The woman, who is not identified, says the couple recently arrived in Minnesota and they had a child.

Ms Noem called the incident an “act of domestic terrorism” against Ice officers, saying the driver “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him”.

US President Donald Trump made similar accusations on social media and defended Ice’s work.

Ms Noem alleged that the woman was part of a “mob of agitators” and said the officer followed his training. She said the FBI would investigate.

But Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey called Ms Noem’s version of events “garbage”.

“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defence,” Mr Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”

He also criticised the federal deployment and said the agents should leave.

The shooting marked an escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. Wednesday’s is at least the fifth death linked to the crackdowns.

The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced the operation’s launch on Tuesday, at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

A crowd of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting to vent their anger at local and federal officers.

In a scene similar to previous crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago, people chanted “Ice out of Minnesota” and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

Minnesota governor Tim Walz said he was prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He expressed outrage over the shooting but called on people to keep protests peaceful.

“They want a show,” Mr Walz said. “We can’t give it to them.”

There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot Ms Macklin Good.

Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.