An employee of a contractor that operates an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Aurora, Colorado, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly shooting a protestor. Brandon Booth, 42, employed by GEO Group, was detained Thursday evening following an incident outside the ICE Processing Center on Oakland Street.
According to the Aurora Police Department, responding officers found two women at the scene, one of whom had sustained a gunshot wound to her lower body. The injured woman was transported to a hospital, and her injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Authorities stated that Booth was among ICE center employees who became delayed due to a protest blocking access to the facility. Police reported that two female protestors initiated a verbal confrontation and took pictures of employees' vehicles before Booth retrieved a personally owned pistol and fired a single shot in their direction. He then reportedly drove away before being detained by officers a short distance away.
Booth was booked on probable cause for attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. He has not yet been formally charged.
A spokesperson for GEO Group confirmed that Booth has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that the company is cooperating with law enforcement. "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 in Aurora. Constitutional rights are a pivotal part of a just society – violence is not."
The incident occurred amidst a backdrop of other recent shootings involving ICE personnel. An officer was reportedly involved in a fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine, earlier in the week, and another ICE agent allegedly shot an individual in Houston less than a week prior.