Investigating Renee Good's death is now up to the county — and no one else

The U.S. deputy attorney general has said there will be no federal investigation into the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent — meaning only one investigative avenue remains.

But those officials in Hennepin County will face some significant hurdles from federal authorities have not turned over potentially key pieces of evidence.

"The question is whether or not ... they can bring charges without further access to the FBI's information," said Emmanuel Mauleón, an associate law professor at the University of Minnesota.

Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot on Jan. 7 by ICE agent  Jonathan Ross while in her SUV in a residential neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, which is part of Hennepin County.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has since told media outlets that there is "no basis for an investigation" into the shooting.

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance on Thursday appeared to refer to another investigation at the federal level, though his wording was vague and seemed to suggest an internal, non-criminal probe.

It would ensure "that if somebody did something wrong … they're going to face disciplinary action," he said, perhaps referring to an internal probe by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.

That leaves only the only criminal investigation with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO).

The office has since established a link for residents to submit any potential evidence related to the case.

"We wanted to make sure that everybody in the community — because we know everybody has phones now and they're taking video — that they had an opportunity to submit that to us," County Attorney Mary Moriarty, told Twin Cities PBS.

Asked what evidence and information they have related to the case, Moriarty said "it's easier to say what we don't have."

She said the federal government took Good's car, Ross's gun and shell casings at the scene.

"We would like to have that, but it's not necessarily a barrier to go forward with prosecution," she said.

Along with the car and gun, another critical piece of evidence is Ross's cell phone, which he was using as a body-worn camera at the time, said Antonio Romanucci, whose law firm is representing Good's family. It is also investigating whether a civil action can be filed.