ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, is now a millionaire through online donations – a surge that’s sparked national outrage and led billionaire Bill Ackman to defend his contribution.
On January 7, just blocks from the site of George Floyd’s murder Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was struck in the chest, arm, and head. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
The incident, which unfolded near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, immediately set off a wave of public anger and renewed national debate over the use of federal force.
‘Domestic terrorism’
In the days that followed, federal officials painted Good as a violent agitator. President Donald Trump labeled her “very violent” and “very radical,” and others in his administration described her as a “lunatic.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in response, denounced the Trump administration’s characterization, calling it “bulls**t.”
According to the incident report obtained by CNN, Jonathan Ross – the ICE agent involved – shot Good in the right chest, her left forearm and “on the left side of her head.”
Ross has not returned to duty since the shooting, and Homeland Security officials later called it “an act of domestic terrorism,” adding, “an officer of ours acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him.”
Fundraiser reached $1.5 in less than 48 hours
In the immediate aftermath of Good’s death, her family received an outpouring of support. A GoFundMe campaign launched to assist her wife and children raised more than $1.5 million in just 48 hours before being closed on January 9.
“Thank you for your generosity,” the campaign page read. “We’ve closed this GoFundMe and will place the funds in a trust for the family. If you’re looking to donate, we encourage you to support others in need. We’re truly grateful.”
Ross becomes millionaire
But as donations for Good’s family came to a close, money began flowing in a very different direction – toward the ICE agent who killed her.
Fundraising pages launched in support of Jonathan Ross have since raised staggering sums. On GoFundMe, one campaign has brought in nearly $760,000, while a separate fundraiser on GiveSendGo has collected over $283,000. Combined, the two fundraisers push Ross’s total donations past the $1 million mark, effectively making him a millionaire if the funds are transferred as planned.
The GoFundMe campaign, organized by supporter Clyde Emmons, framed Ross as a wrongly vilified officer. “After seeing all the media bs about a domestic terrorist getting go fund me. I feel that the officer that was 1000 percent justified in the shooting deserves to have a go fund me [sic],” Emmons wrote. “Funds will go to help him.”
An update posted to the page on January 13 stated that organizers had made contact with Ross and were working to transfer the funds “as the officer wishes.”
‘Widely reviled’
The campaign caught the attention of billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who confirmed he had donated $10,000 to the fundraiser.
In a January 13 post on X, Ackman defended his decision, writing, “I have been widely reviled (and worse) by many on social and mainstream media for giving $10,000 to a @gofundme for Jonathan Ross, the officer who tragically killed Renee Good. [I had also attempted to support the gofundme for Renee Good’s family, but it was already closed as it had achieved its $1.5 million fundraising objective.]
“My donation to Ross has been characterized in social media by the press as my ‘giving a reward to the murderer of Renee Good’ likely in an effort to generate clicks and boost virality, and by some to advance their political objectives.”
‘Cover defense costs’
Ackman said his decision to support both Ross and, initially, Good was not meant as a political statement, but rather part of his long-standing commitment to helping those facing criminal charges secure a proper defense. He emphasized that determining whether Ross committed murder should be left to experts through a thorough forensic investigation and careful legal analysis.
“I supported Ross because I knew he would need significant funds to cover his defense costs,” he penned, adding, “A world in which the accused cannot afford to pay for their defense is not a world any of us should want to live in.”
The wave of donations to ICE agent Jonathan Ross has fueled backlash from those who see Renee Good’s killing as unjust, with critics calling the support a dangerous endorsement of state violence.
Now, less than two weeks after the shooting, the man who ended her life has become a millionaire – backed by supporters who call him a hero.
What do you think about Ross becoming a millionaire? Do you think the funds are deserved? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can hear from others!
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