An employee of the GEO Group, which operates a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment center in Aurora, Colorado, was arrested after allegedly shooting and injuring a woman. The incident occurred Thursday night near the Aurora ICE Processing Center at 3130 Oakland Street.
Details of the Incident
Brandon Booth, 42, was apprehended by the Aurora Police Department and faces charges of assault and attempted second-degree murder. He was found in a vehicle on Nome Street, just two blocks from the crime scene, with a gun inside the car. Booth is an employee of GEO Group, according to the police.
The victim is identified as a protester, one among various groups demonstrating outside the facility throughout the year. The specific protest group to which the victim belongs remains unidentified.
As Booth waited in his vehicle with other employees, who were barred from entering the facility due to the demonstration, two women approached. They engaged in a verbal exchange and took photographs of the employees’ vehicles before leaving the scene,the police stated.
Following the confrontation, Booth reportedly retrieved a privately owned pistol and fired a shot towards the women, injuring one in her lower body. He then left the vicinity before authorities apprehended him.
Response and Investigation
The injured woman’s wounds are not life-threatening, according to the police. Her identity has yet to be disclosed. The GEO Group released a statement acknowledging the incident and confirming Booth’s unpaid administrative leave, stating they would collaborate with law enforcement.
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain described the event as a “tragedy on all fronts,” asserting the department’s dedication to an ethical and thorough investigation. He emphasized the importance of constitutional rights and noted that violence cannot be tolerated in Aurora.
Investigators are urging anyone with footage or information related to the case to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
Context of Recent ICE Shootings
This arrest follows two recent lethal shootings by ICE officers. On July 7, an ICE officer in Houston, Texas, fatally shot a 52-year-old Mexican man. ICE admitted he was not the target of their operation.
On July 13, another shooting claimed the life of a 25-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, during ICE surveillance of a different person. In response, DHS temporarily halted most ICE traffic stops, a pause later rescinded by President Trump.