Archbishop calls for lowering “the temperature of rhetoric," and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God
MINNEAPOLIS (OSV News) ─ Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda is continuing his call for prayers after police said a woman was pronounced dead following a shooting involving a federal agent in Minneapolis Jan. 7.
"Following this morning's deadly shooting in Minneapolis, I reiterate my plea for all people of good will to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community," Archbishop Hebda, head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said in a statement following the incident, referring back to his request for prayers on Dec. 23 as immigration enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities drew concerns from some about attending Christmas Masses.
The incident Jan. 7 occurred in the area of 34th Street and Portland Avenue, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
The woman shot by an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been identified by Minnesota media as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and poet originally from Colorado.
During a news conference, O'Hara said police responded to the area after receiving a report of a federal law enforcement officer being involved in a deadly force incident, "meaning shots had been fired."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicated on social media that "ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations" Jan. 7.
Upon arrival, O'Hara said officers found a woman who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. O'Hara said CPR and other life-saving measures were administered and the woman was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
O'Hara said a preliminary investigation into the incident indicated the woman "was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue, midway between 33rd Street and 34th Street in the city.
"At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her, on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off. At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway," O'Hara said.
O'Hara said the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are among the agencies investigating the incident.
"This has been a very difficult time for everyone in the city and this is obviously a very, very tragic situation where a woman has lost her life," O'Hara said.
"We've dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during his remarks at the news conference.
"We ask that the community continue to call for peace," O'Hara said. Frey agreed. "Let's unite around hope and love and peace and getting justice, that's what we need to be doing right now," Frey said.
O'Hara said Jan. 7 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are among the agencies investigating the incident. However, on Jan. 8, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans wrote in a statement posted to the agency's website that "the FBI informed the BCA that the U.S. Attorney's Office had reversed course: the investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation. … As a result, the BCA has reluctantly withdrawn from the investigation."
In remarks during a news conference Jan. 8, Gov. Tim Walz reiterated his condolences to Good's family: "Deepest sympathies on an unimaginable tragedy and the horror of the last 24 hours."
In his latest remarks, the governor acknowledged protests that followed the incident.
"Thousands of Minnesotans demonstrated last night peacefully," Walz said. "To Minnesota, I say thank you. There's strength in numbers, there's power in peace, and what we saw was a beautiful vigil to a life that we're starting to learn more about."
Walz acknowledged the BCA withdrawing from the investigation. "We have learned that the Trump administration has now denied the state that ability to participate in the investigation. And I want to make this as clear as possible to everyone: Minnesota must be part of this investigation. These are non-partisan career professionals who have spent years building the trust of the community."
"And so Minnesotans, I will continue to press that we be part of the investigation, that we do the investigation, so that Minnesotans can trust what the outcome is," the governor said. "I don't have a predetermined notion. Yes, I saw the video. Yes, I saw that. But a thorough investigation will see what happened before that. It will take all factors in and it will come up with a fair and just conclusion and we will accept that."
Archbishop Hebda in his Jan. 7 statement appealed for all people "to lower the temperature of rhetoric, stop fear-filled speculation and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God."
He said, "That is as true for our immigrant sisters and brothers as it is for our elected officials and those who are responsible for enforcing our laws."
Archbishop Hebda also said he wanted to "echo today the repeated call of the U.S. Catholic bishops that we come together as a nation and pass meaningful immigration reform that does justice to all parties."
He indicated that the issue is becoming "more divisive and violent" the longer the country refuses to grapple with it.
"It is only by working together ─ with God's help ─ that we will have peace in our communities, state and world," he said.
Rebecca Omastiak is the news editor for The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper serving the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This story ran first in The Catholic Spirit and is distributed in partnership with OSV News.
