All about Jonathan Ross: The war veteran who shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis ICE shooting

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, during a major immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has ignited widespread anger, political confrontation and calls for multiple investigations. The federal agent who opened fire has not been formally named by authorities, but court records and publicly available documents identify him as Jonathan E. Ross, a long-serving officer with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and an Iraq War veteran.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday morning, prompting protests across Minneapolis and sharp divisions between the Trump administration–which has defended the agent–and lawmakers demanding accountability. The FBI, local authorities and civil rights groups are now scrutinising the use of lethal force, especially as video footage has raised questions about whether the shooting was justified.

A veteran agent with a long career in Federal Enforcement

Ross, 43, has spent nearly two decades working in federal law enforcement after serving in the US military. According to Associated Press records and courtroom testimony, he deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the Indiana National Guard, where he worked as a machine gunner on a combat patrol team.

After returning to the US in 2005, Ross completed his studies and joined the US Border Patrol in 2007, stationed near El Paso, Texas. During his eight years there, he became a field intelligence agent focusing on cartel activity and human- and drug-smuggling networks along the border.

He transferred to ICE in 2015, becoming a deportation officer assigned to fugitive operations in the Minneapolis region. In testimony last month, Ross described his work as targeting “higher value” individuals wanted by immigration authorities.

“So I develop the targets, create a target package, surveillance, and then develop a plan to execute the arrest warrant,” he testified, also noting that he previously served as a team leader for the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Records show Ross has held multiple specialised positions, including firearms instructor, active-shooter trainer, field intelligence officer and SWAT team member. He also learned Spanish at the Border Patrol academy in New Mexico.

A previous incident: Dragged by a fleeing suspect

Ross’s previous encounter with a violent suspect has resurfaced in the aftermath of Good’s death. Federal officials confirmed that he is the same officer who was dragged by a vehicle during an ICE operation in Bloomington, Minnesota, last June.

During that arrest attempt, agents approached a vehicle driven by Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, who refused to comply. Ross broke a window using a “spring-loaded window punch” to reach inside and unlock the door. Munoz-Guatemala accelerated while Ross’s arm was inside the car, dragging him roughly the length of a football field.

Ross fired his Taser but the suspect kept driving, according to court documents. Ross sustained multiple injuries, receiving dozens of stitches for cuts to his arm, knee, elbow and face. “It was pretty excruciating pain,” he testified.

A jury later convicted Munoz-Guatemala of assaulting a federal officer, ruling he “should reasonably have known that Jonathan Ross was a law enforcement officer and not a private citizen.”

Minneapolis shooting: Anger, questions and conflicting accounts

Federal officials have defended Ross’s actions in Wednesday’s shooting, claiming he opened fire after Good attempted to run over agents with her vehicle as she tried to flee. However, videos recorded at the scene have cast doubt on whether the use of deadly force was in self-defence.

The FBI is now leading the investigation into the shooting, while Minnesota authorities have indicated they intend to conduct their own inquiry. Protesters and civil rights organisations are demanding criminal charges.

Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, without naming Ross, said the agent had previously been dragged by a vehicle and insisted he acted according to his training. She described Good’s actions as “domestic terrorism,” adding: “This vehicle was used as a weapon, and the officer felt his life was in jeopardy.”

Trump administration rallies behind Ross

Senior Trump officials have strongly backed the veteran agent amid rising criticism. Vice President JD Vance praised Ross’s service on Thursday, saying the ICE officer “deserves a debt of gratitude.”

“This is a guy who's actually done a very, very important job for the United States of America,” Vance said. “He's been assaulted. He's been attacked. He's been injured because of it.”

Vance also described Good as a “brainwashed victim of left-wing ideology,” insisting the shooting was an act of “self-defence.”

“No one wants to see an American killed. It’s absolutely a tragedy,” he said, adding: “It was a tragedy of her own making.”

DHS assistant Tricia McLaughlin likewise defended the officer’s qualifications, noting he had been selected for ICE’s special response team, which undergoes extensive tactical and firearms training. “He acted according to his training,” she said.

Mounting backlash and calls for answers

Good’s death has triggered protests in Minneapolis and calls from Democratic officials to reassess ICE operations and federal enforcement tactics. Civil rights groups have condemned what they describe as aggressive policing and a pattern of excessive force unrelated to violent crime.

(With inputs from AP)