Off-duty employee opens fire on protester near Colorado ICE facility, sparking investigation, police confirm
A shooting occurred outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Colorado on July 16, involving an off-duty employee and a protester. The incident took place near the Aurora ICE Processing Center, where a woman was shot in the lower body, according to the Aurora Police Department.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time and detained 42-year-old Brandon Booth, an employee of the GEO Group, which operates the facility. Booth was waiting in his car with other employees due to a protest impeding their access to the facility. A verbal confrontation ensued between Booth and two women, including the victim, who were taking pictures of the cars.
Booth allegedly retrieved his personal pistol and fired a single shot, striking one of the women. He then fled the scene before being detained by police. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that no ICE personnel were involved in the incident. The GEO Group has placed Booth on unpaid administrative leave and is cooperating with authorities. The company contracts with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service at the Aurora facility.
The shooting comes amid intense scrutiny of ICE following two recent fatal shootings of immigrants in Texas and Maine. These incidents have led to calls for ICE to suspend vehicle stops and implement body-worn cameras for all officers. In response, the Department of Homeland Security has announced that at least one officer in every arrest team will wear a camera going forward.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time and detained 42-year-old Brandon Booth, an employee of the GEO Group, which operates the facility. Booth was waiting in his car with other employees due to a protest impeding their access to the facility. A verbal confrontation ensued between Booth and two women, including the victim, who were taking pictures of the cars.
Booth allegedly retrieved his personal pistol and fired a single shot, striking one of the women. He then fled the scene before being detained by police. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that no ICE personnel were involved in the incident. The GEO Group has placed Booth on unpaid administrative leave and is cooperating with authorities. The company contracts with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service at the Aurora facility.
The shooting comes amid intense scrutiny of ICE following two recent fatal shootings of immigrants in Texas and Maine. These incidents have led to calls for ICE to suspend vehicle stops and implement body-worn cameras for all officers. In response, the Department of Homeland Security has announced that at least one officer in every arrest team will wear a camera going forward.
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