An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center worker has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly shooting a protester outside a facility in Aurora, Colorado. Brandon Booth, 42, an employee of contractor GEO Group, was taken into custody Thursday evening.
The Aurora Police Department stated that officers found two women at the scene, one of whom had sustained a gunshot wound to her lower body. The victim's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
According to police, both women had been part of a demonstration earlier that evening outside the city's ICE Processing Center. The protest had reportedly blocked access to the facility. Booth, who was en route to work, became caught in traffic.
Authorities reported that the two protesters initiated a verbal confrontation and took pictures of employees' vehicles before walking away. Police allege that Booth then retrieved a personally owned pistol and fired a single shot in their direction, striking one of the women. Booth then drove away from the area 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 GEO Group spokesperson confirmed that Booth has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and stated the company will cooperate with law enforcement. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have been contacted for comment.
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain emphasized the department's commitment to a thorough and objective investigation, stating that violence of any kind will not be tolerated and that constitutional rights are a pivotal part of society, but violence is not.
The incident follows two other recent shootings involving ICE personnel. In Maine on Monday, an officer was involved in a fatal shooting, and less than a week prior, an ICE agent allegedly shot an individual in Houston.