Brandon Booth is facing multiple charges after shooting a protester outside a Colorado detention center.
Brandon Booth, a 42-year-old employee of the GEO Group, was arrested after firing a single shot from his personal pistol at a woman during a protest outside the Aurora ICE Processing Center. The incident occurred on July 16 when the woman, who was part of a group of rioters, initiated a verbal confrontation and took photographs of the employees' vehicles. According to the Aurora Police Department, Booth fired the shot as the women were walking away, striking her in the lower body. The victim was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Booth was subsequently detained in his vehicle and faces charges including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, felony menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. The GEO Group, which contracts with the Department of Homeland Security to operate the facility, placed Booth on unpaid administrative leave. Police Chief Todd Chamberlain described the event as a tragedy, noting that while constitutional rights are vital, violence is not tolerated. The shooting follows recent scrutiny of ICE operations regarding fatal incidents involving illegal immigrants.