Man Indicted Following Shooting Incident at ICE Facility in Aurora
DENVER—A 42-year-old employee of a company operating a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Denver has been indicted on assault charges linked to the fatal shooting of a protester last week, according to local prosecutors.
Brandon Booth, who works for Geo Group, is accused of firing his personal handgun at two women during a demonstration outside the ICE processing center in Aurora, Colorado, last Thursday.
Aurora police reported that the protesters engaged in a verbal altercation with GEO employees waiting to enter the facility. The confrontation escalated when Booth exited his vehicle and fired a shot, striking one of the women in the leg.
Following the incident, Booth fled the scene but was apprehended shortly thereafter, police confirmed.
He has been charged with one count of first-degree assault and one count of attempted first-degree assault, both felonies, as stated by the District Attorney’s Office for Colorado’s 17th Judicial District. Prosecutors indicated that the assault charge could result in a sentence of 10 to 32 years in prison, while the attempted assault charge carries a potential sentence of 5 to 16 years.
A spokesperson for Geo Group commented on the incident, confirming that an off-duty employee of the Aurora ICE processing center was involved and stating, “This individual has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and will cooperate fully with law enforcement.”
This shooting incident further highlights concerns surrounding ICE operations, following recent fatal shootings involving ICE agents during routine vehicle stops in Houston, Texas, and Biddeford, Maine. In both instances, federal authorities admitted that the deceased individuals were not the intended targets of immigration operations.
Concerns about ICE practices have been amplified by recent tragic events, including the shooting deaths of protesters Renee Good and Alex Preti in Minneapolis earlier this year. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with those incidents, and criticism continues to mount regarding conditions in detention facilities managed by GEO and similar organizations, with claims of unsanitary environments and inadequate medical care for detainees.
The injured protester from the Aurora incident, 22-year-old Emma Landis, was seen on crutches and with her leg bandaged as she returned to demonstrate outside the facility. According to Colorado Public Radio News, she expressed her shock at the incident, stating, “We were protesting on the sidewalk and they were taunting us and threatening us, and as we were crossing the street, he shot me. Never in a million years did I think that would happen.”
