The brother of Renee Nicole Good, one of two protesters who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month, has said that the ongoing actions of immigration enforcement authorities following her death are “beyond explanation.”
“In the past weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps her death would bring about change in our country, and it has not,” Luke Ganger told Clawmakers during a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
“The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation.”
Good was shot dead on January 7 following an altercation with several agents, including Jonathan Ross, who fired three shots through her car windshield. Three weeks later, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was also shot dead by federal law enforcement.
Video footage of the incident, taken from multiple angles, has sparked outrage and protests across the U.S., though a heavy immigration enforcement presence has remained in the city, reportedly leaving many Hispanic and Latino residents scared to leave their homes.
“This is not just a bad day or a rough week or isolated incidents; these encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever,” Ganger said.
“I still don't know how to explain to my four-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by.”
Ganger said that when he had told his young daughter about her aunt’s death, she had told him that “there are no bad people, and everybody makes mistakes,” adding “she has ‘Nee’s spirit.”
Tuesday’s hearing is part of an inquiry into federal agents and their use of force. It was organized by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Representative Robert Garcia of California.
Ganger was joined at the session by his brother, Brent Ganger, who shared parts of his obituary for Good, in which he likened her to “sunshine” and “dandelions.”
“Renee had a way of showing up in the world that made you believe things were going to be okay, not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway,” he said. “She chose to look for what was good, what was possible and what was worth loving. Nene loved fiercely, openly and without hesitation.”
He added that his sister “believed in second chances.”“She believed tomorrow could be better than today. She believed that kindness mattered, and she lived that belief even when things were hard,” he said.
After both brothers had finished speaking, Blumenthal thanked them for their “powerful appeal to the nation’s conscience.”
“I hope that all of our colleagues will join in seeking the action that you just described that is so important, not just as a tribute to your sister but as a way to prevent the lawless brutality that caused her death – literally murder.”
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