GEO Group Employee Arrested Following Shooting Outside Aurora ICE Facility
A 42-year-old employee of The GEO Group, the private-prison operator contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was arrested Thursday night after allegedly shooting a protester near the company’s detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. The suspect, identified by the Aurora Police Department as Brandon Booth, faces charges including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, and the unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon. The victim, identified in court records as Emma Landis, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the back of her foot.
Circumstances Leading to the Shooting
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident occurred near the 3100 block of North Nome Street shortly before 7:30 p.m. Booth and other GEO Group employees were waiting in their vehicles along the street, unable to enter the facility for their work shifts due to an ongoing protest.
Police report that two women approached the employees, initiated a verbal confrontation, and took photographs of the employees’ vehicles. According to the affidavit, the women used derogatory terms toward the workers and threatened to track down where the employees lived and where their children attended school. Booth told investigators that the threats against his children caused his anger level to reach a 15 out of 10.
Booth reportedly retrieved a personally owned pistol from his vehicle and walked into the street. He told investigators he fired a single shot in the direction of the women, claiming he intended to scare them rather than injure them. After the shot was fired, Booth drove away from the scene. Aurora police officers, who were already on-site to monitor the protest, witnessed the shooting, provided medical aid to the victim, and pursued Booth, detaining him less than two miles away near East 37th Avenue and Havana Street.
Legal Proceedings and Employment Status
Booth appeared before a judge at the Adams County Jail on Friday afternoon. Magistrate Kyle Martelon set his bond at $500,000, describing the incident as a grave risk to our community.
The GEO Group issued a statement confirming that Booth, who had worked at the facility for approximately two and one-half to three years, was off-duty at the time of the incident. The company has placed him on unpaid administrative leave and stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement. An attorney representing Booth noted his client’s previous work in juvenile corrections for the state. Court records indicate Booth has a prior history of misdemeanor traffic offenses, including convictions for driving while ability impaired and driving under the influence.
Broader Context and Community Impact
The shooting occurred at a facility that has been a frequent site of protests regarding immigration policy and the treatment of detainees. The center, which operates under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security, recently reported a tuberculosis outbreak among the detainee population. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain pledged a comprehensive investigation, stating, Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Aurora.
Constitutional rights are a pivotal part of a just society – violence is not.
U.S.
Summary of Charges and Status
Related reading
