A 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Sheridan Gorman, an 18‑year‑old freshman at Loyola University Chicago, according to Chicago police.
Gorman was shot in the Rogers Park neighborhood early on March 19 and later died at the scene.
José Medina-Medina was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, as well as additional counts including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated discharge of a firearm, Chicago police said Sunday night. Police have indicated that Gorman was not believed to be the intended target of the shooting.
In a March 23 press release, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an arrest detainer requesting that local authorities keep Medina-Medina in custody, and said the suspect is an undocumented immigrant.
What To Know
Gorman was walking with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach in the north of the city shortly after 1 a.m. when the shooting occurred, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
No other victims were reported. Gorman, a native of Yorktown Heights, New York, was several months into her first year at Loyola University Chicago,
A police report reviewed by the Chicago Tribune provided few specifics about the incident, noting only that officers from the Rogers Park (24th) District discovered Gorman on the Loyola Beach pier with a gunshot wound in his back.
According to the report obtained by the outlet, officers found one shell casing roughly 40 feet from Gorman’s body. Police said in a statement that she had been walking with friends when a gunman approached, drew a weapon, and opened fire.
Medina-Medina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and released into the United States, the DHS said. He was later released again on June 19, 2023, following a separate arrest in Chicago for shoplifting, the agency said.
Court records show that Medina-Medina had a prior misdemeanor charge for shoplifting at the Macy’s on State Street in Chicago. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court, which remained active as of late 2023, according to CWB Chicago.
Former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, a Republican, enacted legislation that restricts local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration officials. Known as the Illinois TRUST Act, the law prevents police from providing information to immigration authorities or transferring individuals in custody unless a federal criminal warrant is present.
Republicans have repeatedly criticized sanctuary policies, arguing they hinder law enforcement and public safety. Democrats, by contrast, defend such measures as essential for protecting immigrant communities and fostering trust between residents and local police.
What People Are Saying
Sheridan Gorman’s family said in a statement: “What Sheridan was doing that night—walking with friends near her campus—was normal. It was safe. It is what students do every day. We will not allow this to be dismissed as ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ This was not random misfortune. This was a violent and preventable act. We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime.
“When systems fail—whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act—the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent. This case must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of both state and federal law. There can be no gaps, no shortcuts, and no second chances that put others at risk. Accountability must be complete.”
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who released this illegal alien twice before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.
“We are calling on Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”
Newsweek has contacted the office of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for comment via email.
What Happens Next
Police said Medina-Medina is scheduled to make his first court appearance on March 23 for a detention hearing.
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