On Thursday night, a shooting incident occurred near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment center in Aurora, Colorado. An employee of GEO Group, which operates the center, was arrested for allegedly shooting and injuring a woman. The event took place by the Aurora ICE Processing Center on Oakland Street, involving Brandon Booth, aged 42. He faces charges of assault and attempted second-degree murder.
Authorities apprehended Booth in a vehicle on Nome Street, less than two blocks from where the shooting occurred. The vehicle contained a firearm, according to police reports. Booth works for GEO Group, and police identified the victim as a protester. Various protests have occurred outside the facility, although the specific group involved in this incident remains unclear.
Aurora police stated that Booth was in his vehicle with other employees, who couldn’t access their workplace due to the protest. Two women approached, engaged in a verbal confrontation, and photographed the employees’ vehicles. After they walked away, Booth allegedly retrieved his personal pistol and fired a shot, hitting one woman in the lower body. He then left the scene but was soon detained.
The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and remains unidentified. A GEO Group spokesperson confirmed that Booth, an off-duty employee, is now on unpaid administrative leave. The company pledges full cooperation with law enforcement efforts.
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain labeled the event a “tragedy,” asserting a commitment to a transparent and thorough investigation. He emphasized that the police department endeavors to uphold integrity in all cases and stated that violence will not be tolerated in Aurora. Chief Chamberlain reiterated the significance of constitutional rights in maintaining a just society.
Officials urge anyone with footage or information related to the incident to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
This incident follows two recent fatal shootings by ICE officers. On July 7, a Mexican man was mistakenly shot in Houston, Texas, during an ICE operation targeting another person. Another incident occurred on July 13, when a Colombian man was killed during ICE surveillance in Biddeford, Maine. These shootings led to a brief pause on most ICE traffic stops, a decision overturned by President Trump recently.