Billionaire Bill Ackman donates $10,000 to ICE agent GoFundMe after fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good
Bill Ackman has given a $10,000 donation to a GoFundMe supporting the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good.
Good died just a few blocks away from her home after being gunned down by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Wednesday (January 7) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking outrage across the US.
Footage obtained by news agencies appears to show Good’s last moments before her death. Multiple state leaders have said Good was at the scene of the ICE raid as a legal observer - a volunteer who monitors police and security forces during protests and operations. When the 37-year-old mom-of-three, who was unarmed, attempted to drive away, the officer fired multiple shots through the side window. Authorities alleged she ‘weaponized’ her car and tried to run over the officer as they carried out raids in her neighborhood.
Despite the widespread outrage about the agency's tactics following Good's death, with many calling it murder, President Trump spoke out in defence of the ICE agent, writing on Truth Social at the time: "The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense."
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Vice President JD Vance said last Thursday that Good ‘violated the law’ and was justifiably shot dead.
A donation page was set up for Ross, and one of the top donations came from Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager and founder of the investment management company Pershing Square Capital Management.
Ackman eventually came forward and confirmed the $10,000 donation was from him in a statement issued on X.
He wrote: “I am big believer in our legal principal [sic] that one is innocent until proven guilty. To that end, I supported the @gofundme for Jonathan Ross and intended to similarly support the gofundme for Renee Good’s family (her gofundme was closed by the time I attempted to provide support).”
Donations to Good’s GoFundMe have been paused after it reached over $1.5m in donations, surpassing the goal of $50,000.
“The whole situation is a tragedy. An officer doing his best to do his job, and a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death. Our country is stronger if we work together to resolve the complex issues that are tearing us apart,” Ackman added.
In light of the public’s support, Good’s widow Becca shared a moving statement via MPR News, explaining that Renee leaves behind three children, the youngest being six years old, who has already lost his father.
Part of Becca's statement to the news outlet reads: "First, I want to extend my gratitude to all the people who have reached out from across the country and around the world to support our family.
"This kindness of strangers is the most fitting tribute because if you ever encountered my wife, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, you know that above all else, she was kind. In fact, kindness radiated out of her.
"Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled. I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.
"Renee lived by an overarching belief: there is kindness in the world and we need to do everything we can to find it where it resides and nurture it where it needs to grow. Renee was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole."
Gregory Robinson