A worker at a US immigration detention centre has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly shooting a protester during a demonstration outside a Colorado facility. Brandon Booth, 42, an employee of private prison contractor GEO Group, was taken into custody after the shooting outside the Aurora ICE Processing Centre on Thursday evening. Police said two women had been taking part in an anti-ICE protest that blocked access to the detention centre, leaving employees caught in heavy traffic as they attempted to leave the site. According to investigators, the women confronted workers whose vehicles had become trapped in the disruption and began photographing their cars. Officers allege Booth then retrieved a personal handgun and fired a single shot, striking one of the women in the lower body. The injured protester collapsed in the street and was taken to hospital, where she is expected to recover. Police said Booth allegedly returned to his vehicle and attempted to leave the area but was stopped a short distance away by responding officers. He has since been arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, assault, felony menacing and carrying a concealed weapon. The GEO Group, which operates the detention facility under contract, confirmed Booth has been placed on unpaid leave while criminal proceedings continue. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain described the incident as “a tragedy on all fronts”, adding that detectives would carry out a full and transparent investigation. He said violence of any kind would not be tolerated. The shooting comes amid heightened scrutiny of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following two recent shootings involving ICE officers in Maine and Texas, further fuelling tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and protests across the United States. The investigation into Thursday’s shooting remains ongoing.
