Key facts
- An off-duty employee of a company that runs an ICE facility in Colorado was arrested for shooting a protester.
- The incident occurred after a verbal confrontation between the employee and protesters outside the facility.
- The injured woman sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to her lower body.
- The employee, identified as Brandon Booth, was placed on unpaid administrative leave by his employer, Geo Group.
- Geo Group stated it is cooperating with law enforcement and will conduct its own review.
An employee of Geo Group, a private contractor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was arrested Thursday evening after shooting and injuring a woman who was participating in a protest outside the company's facility in Aurora, Colorado. Police found the woman with a gunshot wound to her lower body. The suspect, identified as Brandon Booth, 42, was stopped nearby, and his car and gun were seized. Booth is an employee of Geo Group, which runs numerous detention centers and has contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. The Aurora facility has previously been the site of protests concerning alleged mistreatment of detainees and a recent tuberculosis outbreak. According to police, protesters had blocked the facility entrance, leading employees to wait in their cars. Booth and other employees were allegedly involved in a verbal confrontation with protesters who took photos of their vehicles. Booth then allegedly fired a single shot, striking one of the women, before driving away. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, assault, menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. The injured woman's injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. Geo Group confirmed awareness of the incident, stated the employee was placed on unpaid administrative leave, and pledged full cooperation with law enforcement.