Employee arrested after shooting woman during protest that blocked Colorado ICE center

Brandon Booth, a 42-year-old employee of the GEO Group, was arrested after allegedly shooting a female protester near the Aurora ICE Processing Center on Thursday evening. Police said Booth was waiting in his car on a nearby street with other workers when a demonstration blocked access to the facility.

Two female protesters instigated a verbal confrontation and took pictures of employees’ cars before walking away.

Booth then allegedly fired a single shot toward the two women, striking one in the lower body, before driving away. Officers arrested Booth two blocks from the scene. Police believe the firearm was his personally owned pistol.

CBS News reported that Booth was charged with assault and attempted second-degree murder. One woman described by police as a protester was treated at a local hospital for the wound. A friend with her was unharmed.

The Aurora ICE Processing Facility is Colorado’s only operating ICE detention center and holds up to 1,500 people. A GEO Group spokesperson said the company was aware that an off-duty employee was involved in a shooting incident. The individual was placed on unpaid administrative leave, and the company said it will fully cooperate with law enforcement.

Aurora Chief of Police Todd Chamberlain said the department will investigate the incident with commitment to transparency and integrity. He added that the department remains committed to an ethical, thorough, objective, and comprehensive review, and that violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Aurora.