Women photographed vehicles before shooting, Aurora police say
Aurora police said the shooting occurred Thursday evening as Booth and other employees waited in their cars along a street for protesters to clear the entrance to the facility so they could start their shifts. Investigators stated that two women “initiated a verbal confrontation” and took pictures of the employees’ vehicles before walking away.
According to police, Booth then retrieved a personally owned pistol and fired a single shot in the direction of the women, striking one of them in the lower body. He drove off and was arrested a short distance from the scene. The wounded woman was treated at a hospital, and her injuries were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.
Booth was booked on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon.
“This is a tragedy on all fronts,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a statement. “We remain committed to ensuring an ethical, thorough, objective, and comprehensive review of this case. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Aurora. Constitutional rights are a pivotal part of a just society – violence is not.”
GEO Group, a $4 billion company that operates a vast network of private immigration detention centers and state prisons across the United States, confirmed that Booth was an off-duty employee at the Aurora facility. In a statement, the company said Booth had been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that it would fully cooperate with law enforcement.
The company holds multiple multi-year contracts with the Department of Homeland Security for detention facilities, transportation services, and immigrant-tracking programs. Last month, former GEO Group executive David Venturella was named the acting director of ICE.
The Aurora facility has been a frequent focal point for protests. Immigrant advocates have raised complaints about conditions at the center, alleging mistreatment of detainees, inadequate food, and inconsistent access to air conditioning. Earlier this week, the facility reported a tuberculosis outbreak with at least 12 detainees becoming sick.
Demonstrators regularly have gathered outside the center in Aurora and at similar facilities around the country to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Earlier this month, dozens of demonstrators were arrested during clashes with law enforcement outside an ICE facility in New Jersey.