New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, saying officials should be held accountable "if you violate the law" and rejecting what he described as attempts to reframe what happened.
"If you violate the law, then you have to be held to account," Mamdani said in comments to The City.
"There's no amount of mischaracterizations of what we all saw happen in Minneapolis that can tell us to believe anything other than our own eyes," he added, calling the incident "the latest horror in a year of cruelty."
The shooting occurred Wednesday, when an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good while she was in a vehicle during a federal operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The incident sparked protests in Minneapolis and intensified political criticism of ICE operations. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he directed the state to prepare the National Guard while urging demonstrations to remain peaceful.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed the woman "weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them."
Local leaders disputed that account, pointing to bystander video that they said conflicts with the federal description of the moments before the shooting.
"They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday, referring to ICE. "Having seen the video of myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is b---s---."
Use-of-force experts interviewed by national outlets also questioned whether the agent was in immediate danger and criticized firing at a moving vehicle as inconsistent with many policing standards.
The case has also drawn scrutiny over the response after the gunfire. Witnesses told media outlets that federal officers blocked medical responders from reaching the scene, though federal officials have not publicly addressed those allegations in detail.
Separately, reporting indicates the FBI has taken over the investigation, prompting concerns from Minnesota officials about transparency and access to evidence.
In his remarks, Mamdani argued the public does not need official explanations to interpret video of the shooting.
"The horror of what we saw is not just in that murder," he said. "It's also knowing that this is just a glimpse into what has been a year of cruelty."
The incident has fueled a widening debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics and accountability for use of force, as investigations continue and demonstrations persist in Minneapolis.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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