Venezuelan National Charged in Fatal Shooting of Loyola Student Sheridan Gorman
Chicago, IL – A 25-year-old man, Jose Medina, has been charged with murder and other felonies in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman. The incident occurred on a Chicago lakefront pier in the early hours of Thursday. Medina, a Venezuelan national, was apprehended following an investigation that utilized surveillance footage, and his immigration status and prior arrest record have become central to broader discussions on immigration policy and public safety.
Incident Details
Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman business student at Loyola University, was fatally shot shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday. The shooting took place near the Tobey Prinz Beach Park pier in Rogers Park, less than a mile from the university campus. Gorman, originally from Yorktown Heights, New York, was with friends, reportedly planning to view the Northern Lights.
Witnesses reported that a man, described as wearing black clothing and a black mask, approached the group. As Gorman attempted to flee, the individual pointed a gun and fired one round, striking her in the back. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered a single shell casing approximately 40 feet from her body on the pier.
Victim Information
Sheridan Gorman was a business student at Loyola University and was involved with the Christian campus group Cru. Friends described her as cheerful and having a positive reputation. Her family, in statements released after the incident, expressed profound loss.
Her family described her as someone who "was exactly where she should have been — close to campus, surrounded by friends, living her life." They emphasized that the incident represented "the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come."
Investigation and Arrest
Chicago police identified Jose Medina, 25, from Rogers Park, as the suspect. Surveillance video from nearby captured an individual matching the suspect's description walking westbound to Pratt Avenue minutes after the shooting and later entering a nearby apartment building, where he was seen on internal cameras without a mask. Police noted a "distinct limp" that aided in identification. Medina's mother also reportedly identified him to investigators.
Medina was taken into custody on Friday night. Charges were filed on Sunday, including:
- First-degree murder
- Attempted murder
- Three felony counts of aggravated assault
- Aggravated discharge of a weapon
- Aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon
An arrest report did not provide information regarding a potential motive for the shooting.
Suspect Background and Immigration Status
Jose Medina is a Venezuelan national. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in May 2023 and subsequently released into the United States. DHS stated he had no pending asylum claims. By June 2023, Medina was reportedly residing at a city-sponsored migrant shelter in Chicago.
Medina had prior contact with local law enforcement. In June 2023, he faced a misdemeanor charge for shoplifting at a Macy's on State Street in Chicago and was released on a personal recognizance bond. A warrant for his arrest was issued in August 2023 after he failed to appear for a court date related to these theft charges; this warrant remained outstanding until his recent apprehension.
DHS has filed an arrest detainer against Medina, requesting that authorities prevent his release due to potential deportation.
Court Proceedings
Medina's detention hearing was postponed due to his hospitalization for a possible tuberculosis infection. He is currently quarantined.
Broader Context and Official Reactions
The incident has generated discussion regarding immigration policies and public safety.
A DHS spokesperson stated that Gorman was "failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians."
Gorman's family released a statement expressing profound disappointment:
"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."
Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden, in an interview, suggested Gorman was in the "wrong place at the wrong time" and may have "startled" the individual who shot her. These comments drew criticism on social media and from Gorman's family, who asserted that the incident "is not an abstraction" and emphasized the importance of not becoming desensitized to violence.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's office issued a statement conveying condolences to Gorman's family and the Loyola University community, condemning violent crime, and expressing an expectation for accountability. The statement also criticized former President Donald Trump for what it described as politicizing tragedies, suggesting a focus on reinstating federal funds for violence prevention.
Illinois, including Chicago, operates as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The state enforces the TRUST Act, which generally prevents state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities for detainers unless a federal criminal warrant is presented. Pritzker's office did not respond to inquiries about complying with the Laken Riley Act, a federal act that mandates individuals identified as illegal immigrants be held for federal transfer even if only accused, not convicted, of a crime.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2024 murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, whose alleged killer, a Venezuelan citizen, reportedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2022.