John Mulaney has decided to push back his scheduled stand-up shows at the Armory in Minneapolis this weekend, after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in the midst of a large-scale immigration crackdown in the city.
The comedian announced the news on his social media platforms Thursday, explaining that although he would usually “hate to postpone” a show, the situation calls for it.
“What’s happening in your city is heartbreaking. I hate to postpone shows in a town going through such awful challenges and such grief, because it feels unfair to the audience,” Mulaney wrote to his online followers. “Still, I don’t feel comfortable asking thousands of people each night to leave their homes, gather at the venue and then make their way home when the situation is so unsafe.”
Mulaney promised fans he’d honor tickets for this weekend’s shows for a later date in April, directing his fans to their points of purchase or Ticketmaster for refunds. “I am sorry to anyone who is disappointed,” Mulaney continued. “I know a fun stand-up show could be a nice distraction, but it doesn’t sit right with me to put anyone at risk.”
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Footage of Good’s killing has quickly circulated online, sparking nationwide outrage and drawing intense commentary from stars and new commentators alike.
In footage of the tragic killing, the mother of three is sitting inside a Honda SUV, blocking a street. The footage shows several ICE agents then surrounding the vehicle on foot and telling her to exit. When she begins to drive away, the footage shows an agent opening fire through the windshield, prompting Good’s vehicle to crash into a parked car.
In the wake of the shooting, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin has alleged that Good “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them,” and argued that the ICE officer “fired defensive shots.” In a press conference, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took a similar approach, maintaining that the officer merely “followed his training.”
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But local officials, including Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, have disputed this narrative. “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” Frey said at a Wednesday press conference. “Having seen the video myself I want to tell everybody directly, that is bulls—.”
“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed,” he continued. “And I have a message for ICE… Get the f— out of Minneapolis.”