AURORA, Colorado—A Colorado detention center employee has been charged with attempted murder and other felony offenses after authorities said he shot and wounded a protester outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility during a demonstration, police said.
Aurora police said Brandon Booth, 42, an employee of GEO Group, the private company that operates the Aurora ICE Processing Center, was arrested shortly after Thursday evening's shooting. Investigators said Booth was waiting with other employees to begin work after protesters had blocked access to the facility when a confrontation occurred.
According to an Aurora Police Department statement, two women engaged in a verbal exchange with employees and photographed their vehicles before walking away. Police allege Booth retrieved a personally owned firearm and fired a single shot, striking one of the women in the lower leg.
The injured woman, identified by authorities as 21-year-old Emma Landis, was taken to a hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening. Police said the second woman was not injured.
Booth was booked on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon, according to police. Formal court proceedings are expected to determine whether the charges proceed.
GEO Group said Booth was off duty at the time of the incident and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The company said it was cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities.
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain condemned the shooting, saying the department supports the constitutional rights of people to protest peacefully while making clear that violence would not be tolerated. Investigators have not announced a motive, and police said the case remains under investigation.
The shooting occurred amid continuing demonstrations outside the Aurora detention facility, where protesters have raised concerns over federal immigration enforcement and conditions inside the center. The facility, operated by GEO Group under contract with ICE, has drawn sustained protests in recent months.
ICE did not immediately comment on the shooting. Authorities have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or recorded video to contact investigators as they continue gathering evidence.
The victim's condition was reported as stable, and no additional arrests related to the protest had been announced as of Monday.
