AURORA, Colo. (AP) — An off-duty employee at a federal immigration detention center in Colorado has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun following a confrontation with two protesters outside the building, hitting a woman in the foot.
Aurora police said the shooting happened Thursday night as employees were waiting along a street for the protest to clear so they could start their work shifts. Investigators said two women started a verbal confrontation
and took pictures of the employees' vehicles before walking away.
The man is accused of retrieving a personally owned pistol and firing one shot in the direction of the women, hitting one in the lower body. The woman's injuries were not considered life-threatening, police said.
Emma Landis, 21, said she got shot on her right ankle. “It’s not a joke. This isn’t a game. This isn’t something you see on social media and hope not to experience," Landis said.
Demonstrators regularly have been gathering outside the center in Colorado, like they have elsewhere around the U.S., to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Earlier this month, protesters clashed with law enforcement in New Jersey, resulting in dozens of arrests there.
In Colorado, the detention center employee was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and other charges. He works for the private-prison operator Geo Group, which is contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to run the 1,500-bed detention center.
Geo Group confirmed Friday that the employee was placed on unpaid administrative leave. The company said it will cooperate with law enforcement.
The Associated Press emailed ICE on Friday requesting comment.
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Associated Press reporter Wufei Yu contributed to this story.
