An off-duty employee of Geo Group, a company operating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Aurora, Colorado, was arrested on Thursday evening for shooting and injuring a woman who had participated in a protest outside the facility earlier that day, according to the Aurora police department.
Details of the Shooting
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the woman with a gunshot wound to her lower body. She was accompanied by a friend, who was unharmed. Police stopped a man in his vehicle not far from the scene, seizing his car and gun, and identified him as Brandon Booth, 42, an employee of Geo Group.
“We are aware that an off-duty Aurora ICE Processing Center employee was involved in a shooting incident,” a spokesperson for Geo Group said in an email. “This individual has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, and we will fully cooperate with law enforcement.”
Background on Geo Group
Geo Group is a $4 billion company that operates a vast network of private immigration detention centers and state prisons across the United States. It has deep ties to the government, with numerous multi-year contracts with the Department of Homeland Security for detention facilities, transportation services, and immigrant-tracking programs. In June, former Geo Group executive David Venturella was named acting director of ICE.
The Aurora facility has been a site of protests in Colorado. Immigrant advocates have alleged mistreatment of detainees, including inadequate food and inconsistent access to air conditioning. Earlier this week, the facility reported a tuberculosis outbreak affecting at least 12 detainees.
Sequence of Events
On the evening of the shooting, police said protesters had blocked the entrance to the facility. Booth and other employees were waiting in their cars until they could enter. According to police, the two women “initiated a verbal confrontation” and took photos of the employees’ vehicles before walking away. Booth then retrieved his pistol and fired a single shot, striking one woman, before driving off.
Booth was arrested and 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 transported to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Official Response
“This is a tragedy on all fronts,” said Todd Chamberlain, Aurora’s chief of police. “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.”
