When Renee Good’s father-in-law decided to reveal the brief letter she wrote before she passed away, he did not expect it to create such a strong wave of emotions

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Renee Good’s former father-in-law said he always had a positive relationship with her and remembered her as “outgoing” and “a real good person.”

Her death last Wednesday following a fatal encounter with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis has been “really hard” on the family, Tim Macklin Sr. said in an interview Tuesday.

He said Good and his son, Tim Macklin Jr., were married for roughly five years before they separated. They had a 6-year-old son together, who was one of her three children. Macklin Jr. died in 2023 at age 36, according to an online obituary.

The elder Macklin, a preacher in Knoxville, said that he remained in touch with Good over the years and that she would bring his grandson for visits about twice a year.

“I think she’s a great person,” he said.

He said he last saw Good in March.

Macklin said he was shocked by the incident involving an ICE officer, saying he had never known Good to be an activist.

The Minneapolis City Council said Good was out “caring for her neighbors” when she was killed. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn, said in a separate statement that she was “heartbroken and angry” about Good’s death.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Good was shot after people began blocking officers during an immigration-related operation. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference that Good ignored commands to get out of the car she was driving and tried to run over an ICE officer in an “attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents.” That officer was the one who shot Good, according to Noem.

Local officials and eyewitnesses have disputed that account, and the case remains under investigation by the FBI.

Cellphone video that captured part of the encounter shows officers ordering Good out of an SUV. One of the officers can be seen trying to open the driver’s side door before the vehicle reverses a few feet. As the SUV begins to drive forward, gunshots ring out, the video shows. The SUV then crashes into a parked car.

Noem said the officer was struck by the vehicle and treated at the hospital before being released.

Macklin said that he doesn’t agree with the choices Good made that day but that he is heartbroken that she lost her life.

“ICE, they’re just doing their job. Do I agree with everything? No,” he said. “But at the same time, we got to just trust God and not try to interfere; we got to submit ourselves to authorities.”

He said that after having watched the video, he believes the ICE officer was struck by the car Good was driving.

“I did see the video, where the agent, you know, he was being hit,” Macklin said. “When you’re worried about your life, you’ll do things suddenly and without thinking. It’s just bad for everybody. I hate that Renee lost her life. I mean, like I said, I love Renee. I hate it for Becca [Good, her partner], I hate it for [my grandson], I hate it for everybody, I hate it for the agent, I hate it for the Trump administration. It’s not good in no means for anybody. It’s just a bad situation.”

Macklin said the family is not only grappling with the sudden loss but also trying to figure out what’s best for his grandson.

“I don’t even know what to do. I’m praying every day,” he said. “We just want everybody to pray for that little dude. He’s just a child.”

Becca Good said in a statement to MPR News that she “leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.”

Macklin recalled how Good was always “gentle” and patient with his grandson. He said he has been in touch with Good’s partner and wants his grandson “to be raised into the Lord.”

“He’s so smart. I’ve never seen a child so smart as his age. He’s really outspoken, he has no filter but a lot of joy, a lot of energy, a typical 6-year-old,” he said, adding that he wants what’s best for his grandson.