Kinew extends Manitobans’ support for Minnesota neighbours in wake of fatal shooting by federal agent

Premier Wab Kinew expressed solidarity with Minnesotans Monday, following days of protests in the U.S. state after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a woman in the head last week.

Kinew spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz by phone in the morning, and previously reached out to Minnesota Lt.-Gov. Peggy Flanagan after last Wednesday’s shooting that killed 37-year-old mother Renee Good, he said.

The premier described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” during a news conference Monday.

“I let him know that we here in Manitoba support our neighbours,” he said.

“There’s so much confusion and so much violence. We just want to see things for our southern neighbours get back to normal, and I offered whatever assistance we can provide.”

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fired three shots at Good while she was behind the wheel of her SUV in Minneapolis. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance were among several officials who swiftly declared the shooting an act of self-defence, alleging Good attempted to run over the officer.

“We just want to see things for our southern neighbours get back to normal, and I offered whatever assistance we can provide.”

Several videos of the shooting circulated widely online, raising questions about their characterizations of the incident.

Good was protesting Trump’s deployment of approximately 2,000 federal agents in a show of force against illegal immigrants among the city’s large Somali population. She appeared to be trying to drive away in order to avoid arrest.

The Trump administration responded to outrage from Minnesota leaders — including Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — by sending an additional 1,000 ICE agents to the city.

Thousands of residents have taken to the streets in the days since Good’s death, calling for the agents to leave; some of the protests have sparked clashes in which police deployed chemical agents against demonstrators.

“Regardless of where you stand on immigration, regardless of where you stand on Trump, I think everyone agrees that seeing a mother have her life taken in such a way is just wrong,” Kinew said.

“I can tell you, it meant a lot to Governor Walz to have our province reach out and offer support. I think if you could do the same to American friends and relatives, it would be greatly appreciated. So, yeah, please do reach out and offer support, and thank God we’re Canadian.”

Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservative party held an emergency meeting Monday to suspend a party board member over “offensive and inappropriate” comments he made about ICE following the incident.

Patrick Allard, a party member who served as a regional director for northwest Winnipeg, was suspended in response to a social media post he made Sunday, Opposition Leader Obby Khan told reporters.

“Do we have ICE in Manitoba? If so, are they hiring? Asking for a friend,” Allard wrote on Facebook.

In another post, Allard said his comments were made “tongue in cheek” and that the post was “a comical one and meant to create a reaction.”

Khan said the vote to suspend Allard saw unanimous support from the PC board.

The decision is temporary until a formal process can take place to determine his future with the board. Khan affirmed Allard will never be permitted to run for office as a provincial Tory, as long as he is the leader.

“This party does not stand for hate, does not stand for division like that. There’s no room for it under any circumstances,” he said.

“His comments do not reflect me as the leader.”

Allard declined an interview request from the Free Press regarding the post and his subsequent suspension.

He told The Canadian Press he planned to talk with the Tories about his future in the party and said he and the PCs share the aim of defeating the governing New Democrats in the next election.

Allard is no stranger to controversy.

He was a vocal opponent of vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic and flouted rules amid pandemic-related lockdowns. In August 2022, Allard was fined $34,000 for repeatedly breaching public health orders.

In October, Allard lost a court challenge in which he alleged he was defamed by the NDP and former candidate, Trudy Schroeder, who accused him of spouting racist rhetoric in online posts.

Kinew chided the Opposition for their connection to Allard, saying it demonstrates the Tories are “not a serious political operation.”

Khan said Allard was elected to the board via a democratic process.

“As the leader of the party, I can’t control what everyone says or is going to do.”

“Members came forward, names were brought up, there was a vote and he was elected to be in that board position,” Khan said. “As the leader of the party, I can’t control what everyone says or is going to do.”

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Khan stressed his party responded to Allard’s comments with “stern and decisive action as fast as possible” and said the NDP government has failed to do the same when faced with its own controversies.

He pointed to comments made last summer by Families Minister Fontaine, following the killing of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Fontaine shared another person’s post that described Kirk as a “white nationalist mouthpiece” who was undeserving of sympathy.

The minister later apologized for reposting the message. Kinew rejected calls to remove her from cabinet, saying he did not believe in cancel culture.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.