'ICE' agent shooting leaves woman dead in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS - An ICE officer fatally shot a woman Wednesday in south Minneapolis, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The shooting happened at East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, where federal and local law enforcement had clashed for hours with protesters.

What to know about the Minneapolis ICE shooting

• The victim was a 37-year-old woman. According to U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, she was a U.S. citizen. City leaders said the victim was a legal observer of federal actions in the city and wasn't a target for an ICE-related arrest.

• Witnesses tell WCCO that whistles sounded to alert neighbors of ICE's presence at about 9:30 a.m. Witnesses say they saw a Honda Pilot blocked by multiple federal agents, and an agent tried to open the driver's side door. The motorist then put her vehicle into reverse, then into drive. Witnesses said they then heard three shots fired. The Honda traveled another several feet before crashing into another vehicle.

• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized the driver's actions as an "act of domestic terrorism." Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security's assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement Wednesday the victim was "one of these violent rioters" who "weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism." However, videos posted to social media of the deadly encounter corroborate witness accounts. Mayor Jacob Frey said he's seen the videos of the incident as well and called the federal agency's narrative of the events "bulls**t." Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz added, "Don't believe this propaganda machine."

• The shooting is being investigated by the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

• The killing comes amid the influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.

• The shooting also happened just a few blocks away from where a Minneapolis officer murdered George Floyd in 2020, sparking off weeks of protests around Minneapolis-St. Paul, around the U.S. and worldwide.