Off-duty worker at Colorado ICE facility arrested for shooting protester
An employee of a company that runs an ICE detention center in Colorado is under arrest after shooting a woman who had participated in a protest outside the facility.
Authorities in Colorado have arrested Brandon Booth, 42, an employee of Geo Group, after he shot and injured a woman on Thursday evening. The incident occurred outside the Aurora ICE Processing Center following a protest earlier that day, according to the Aurora Police Department.
When officers arrived, they found the woman with a gunshot wound to her lower body. She was accompanied by a friend who was unharmed. Police stopped Booth in his vehicle near the scene, seizing his car and gun. He was identified as an off-duty employee of the facility.
A Geo Group spokesperson said Booth has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that the company will fully cooperate with law enforcement. Geo Group, a $4 billion private prison company, operates a vast network of immigration detention centers and state prisons. It holds multiple multi-year contracts with the Department of Homeland Security for detention facilities, transportation, and immigrant-tracking programs. In June, former Geo Group executive David Venturella was named acting director of ICE.
The Aurora facility has been the site of previous protests, with immigrant advocates alleging mistreatment of detainees, including inadequate food and inconsistent access to air conditioning. Earlier this week, a tuberculosis outbreak was reported at the facility, sickening at least 12 detainees.
On the evening of the shooting, protesters had blocked the facility's entrance. Booth and other employees were waiting in their cars to enter. Police say the two women "initiated a verbal confrontation" and took photos of employees' vehicles before walking away. Booth then retrieved his pistol and fired a single shot, striking one woman. He then drove off.
Booth was booked on probable cause of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. The injured woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"This is a tragedy on all fronts," said Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain. "We remain committed to ensuring an ethical, thorough, objective, and comprehensive review of this case. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated."
