(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) — ICE supporters launched multiple GoFundMe campaigns for minnesota ice agent Jonathan Ross after he fatally shot Renee Nicole Good during an ICE operation in January 7, 2026, and the largest fundraiser linked to him has climbed to over $376,000.
The fundraising surge has intensified public debate after agent-perspective video of the shooting was released Friday, adding new fuel to competing accounts of what happened during the operation.
federal authorities shifted investigative control Thursday when the FBI took over the probe, sidelining state authorities, a move that has become part of the wider argument over transparency and public confidence.
What remains clear is that Good was killed during an active ICE operation and Ross fired what federal officials described as “defensive shots.” Key elements of the encounter, including how officials interpret Good’s actions and Ross’s response, are now central to an investigation that is ongoing.
Accounts of Good’s role in the moments before the shooting have been contested in statements by national and local leaders, even as fundraising pages, social-media posts and commentary have turned the case into a flashpoint far beyond Minneapolis.
Supporters of Ross have framed their fundraisers as a way to cover potential legal bills and related personal costs as scrutiny grows, while emphasizing their belief that his actions were justified. The campaigns have drawn attention in part because more than one fundraiser exists, creating overlapping claims about purpose and totals.
The biggest Ross-linked GoFundMe was launched by Clyde Emmons of Mount Forest, Michigan, and includes a profane description of media coverage along with a promise of legal support.
“After seeing all the media bs about a domestic terrorist getting go fund me. I feel that the officer that was 1000 percent justified in the shooting deserves to have a go fund me. Funds will go to help pay for any legal services this officer needs. if officer cannot be reached at time of needed assistance funds will be donated to the ICE through DAP,”
The Emmons fundraiser says the quoted text above.
A smaller Ross-related campaign has been organized by “D Patriots / Frontline Patriots of St. Paul, Minnesota,” under the title “Official ICE agent Jonathan Ross Fund.” That page says the money is for Ross’s “safety, security, legal and housing costs,” and describes Good as a “deranged protester” who “turned her wheels aiming straight for him and flooring the gas slamming into Mr. Ross” before he fired defensively.
Scott Grove of Woodbury, Minnesota, also started a Ross-related GoFundMe, describing its purpose as support for “legal, medical bills and lost wages.”
A high-profile donation added to the visibility of the Emmons campaign when billionaire Bill Ackman gave $10,000, and then confirmed it on X.
“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),”
Ackman wrote the quoted post on X and also called the incident “a tragedy” involving “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.”
Alongside the Ross fundraisers, a separate GoFundMe for Good’s family became one of the most prominent public expressions of support for the woman killed during the operation, raising far more money before being closed.
Mattie Weiss of Minneapolis launched that fundraiser, and it raised $1,503,533 from over 38,500 donations before organizers shut it down.
“We’ve closed this GoFundMe and will place the funds in a trust for the family,”
Organizers wrote the quoted line above about the family fundraiser.
Rebecca, Good’s wife, told MPR News: “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.”
The family fundraiser’s description also included a personal tribute, calling Good “pure sunshine, pure love.”
The fundraising efforts have moved in parallel with an investigation that has shifted between agencies, and with official statements that have sharpened the split in how political leaders describe Good’s actions in the moments before she was shot.
Federal officials have said Good was in an SUV and part of an “ICE Watch” network and interfered in the operation, which they said led Ross to fire “defensive shots.” The agent-perspective video released Friday has fed debate and competing interpretations.
Vice President JD Vance said Good was “attempting to interfere with federal officers.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed that characterization. Frey said the agent was “recklessly using his power that resulted in somebody dying” and called for a fair investigation at a Friday news conference.
The handoff of the probe to the FBI on Thursday sidelined state authorities and placed the federal agency at the center of a politically charged case involving an ICE operation, a fatal shooting, and now a growing web of online fundraising.
While the existence of multiple GoFundMe pages has become part of the controversy, fundraising alone does not establish wrongdoing, and organizers have described their efforts in terms of legal support and personal security rather than political organizing.
Still, the competing campaigns have created confusion about which fundraiser is being cited in online posts and commentary, with totals and goals varying across pages and organizers.
In the Ross-related fundraising descriptions, organizers have leaned heavily on their own assessments of Good and the shooting, including claims of justification that are not findings of investigators. Emmons wrote that the officer was “1000 percent justified in the shooting,” while the St. Paul-based campaign described Good as a “deranged protester” and portrayed the shooting as defensive.
The official investigation has not been presented as complete, and Ross has not been charged.
Charging decisions typically depend on evidence review, interviews, and coordination with prosecutors, and public video releases can shape perceptions while still leaving key questions to investigators rather than online commentary.
Video from the agent’s perspective, released Friday, has become a centerpiece for public arguments about the incident, even as officials have not presented it as a substitute for investigative conclusions.
As the FBI-led investigation continues, attention has also focused on how quickly fundraising and high-profile donations can harden narratives and accelerate polarization, sometimes faster than authorities can provide verified updates.
No sources confirm widespread “outrage” specifically over the Ross fundraisers reaching over $350K, even as rapid fundraising growth and Ackman’s $10,000 donation have drawn attention amid sharply divided reactions to the killing of Good during the Minneapolis operation.
With Ross uncharged and official accounts disputed at the highest levels, the next developments likely to carry weight will be investigative updates, any potential charging announcements, and any official clarifications that further explain the operation and the context of the Friday video release.
Following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, a massive fundraising effort has emerged. Ross’s supporters have raised over $376,000 for legal defense, while a fund for Good’s family reached $1.5 million. The investigation, now led by the FBI, faces intense scrutiny as video evidence and political statements from figures like JD Vance and Jacob Frey present conflicting accounts of the event.
