Several lawyers at the US Department of Justice (DoJ) have resigned in protest at the department’s intention to investigate the widow of Renee Good, who was shot dead by a federal agent in Minneapolis, as well as other actions they say raise serious concerns about the department’s priorities.

The resignations follow the killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis last week. In her first public statement, Becca Good, the widow of Renee Good, described her wife as a person defined by warmth and generosity. “Renee was made of sunshine,” she wrote, stating she was guided by kindness and compassion.

Addressing the circumstances of the shooting only briefly, Good wrote: “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbours. We had whistles. They had guns.”

According to reporting by The New York Times, six prosecutors in Minnesota resigned on Tuesday, including Joseph Thompson, the second most senior official in the US attorney’s office for the district. Thompson objected to the prospect of a criminal investigation into Becca Good, as well as what he saw as the department’s reluctance to pursue an investigation into the shooter, identified as ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

Three other career prosecutors,  Harry Jacobs, Melinda Williams and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez, also resigned, alongside several colleagues who were not publicly named. All declined to comment when approached.

In her statement, Becca Good urged the public to remember her wife for rejecting hatred and embracing empathy. “We honour her memory by living her values: rejecting hate and choosing compassion, turning away from fear and pursuing peace,” she wrote, adding that true safety depended on people coming together rather than being divided.

 

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The couple had recently moved to Minneapolis in search of stability and belonging. Good described the city as a “safe harbour” where she felt they had finally found peace.

The resignations come amid heightened tensions following a second shooting involving an ICE agent in the city. On January 14, an ICE agent shot a man outside a residence on the city’s north side, according to Minneapolis police. The man sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said local officials were urging the public to remain calm as investigations into both incidents continue.