Chicago Mayor Questioned on City Immigration Policies After Venezuelan Suspect Charged in Loyola Student Killing
Chicago police say 18‑year‑old Loyola freshman Sheridan Gorman was fatally shot near the Tobey Prinz Beach pier around 1:15 a.m.; investigators arrested 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina after video and a building engineer identified a suspect by a distinctive limp, and he has been charged with first‑degree murder, attempted murder and multiple weapons and assault counts while being quarantined for a possible tuberculosis infection. The case has prompted scrutiny of immigration enforcement—DHS and ICE say Medina‑Medina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 and released and ICE has lodged a detainer—while Gorman’s family blamed “policy failures” and Mayor Brandon Johnson, who declined to apologize, defended Chicago’s longstanding “welcoming city” ordinance and noted state legal limits on complying with some federal detainer requests.
📌 Key Facts
- Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman from Westchester County, N.Y., was fatally shot near Tobey Prinz Beach Park/pier around 1:12–1:15 a.m.; she was pronounced dead at the scene and police say she may not have been the intended target.
- Chicago police arrested 25-year-old Jose Medina‑Medina, identified as a Venezuelan national, at his Rogers Park apartment after building video showed an unmasked man with a distinct limp leaving the area; U.S. Customs and Border Protection matched the images and investigators recovered a firearm believed connected to the killing.
- Medina‑Medina has been formally charged by Chicago police with first‑degree murder, first‑degree attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault with discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
- DHS and other federal sources say Medina‑Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, was released into the U.S., and was later arrested in Chicago for shoplifting on June 19, 2023 and released; ICE has lodged an immigration detainer and DHS officials publicly urged Illinois and Chicago officials not to release him.
- Illinois’ TRUST Act limits honoring ICE detainers without a federal criminal warrant (state policy), a point highlighted amid the case alongside federal measures such as the Laken Riley Act; Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office called the killing a “senseless murder” but declined to say whether he would direct compliance with the Laken Riley Act.
- Gorman’s family issued a statement calling her death a “murder,” describing her as someone who “made people feel seen, safe, and loved,” blaming “policies and failures” in the immigration system for allowing the suspect to remain in a position to commit the crime, and demanding full prosecution.
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was publicly questioned about city immigration policies and asked to apologize to the Gorman family; he declined to apologize, said Chicago’s welcoming‑city ordinance dates back decades, said he has not yet spoken with the family but intends to, and criticized former President Trump’s handling of related issues.
- Prosecutors say Medina‑Medina missed a detention/court appearance because he is hospitalized and being quarantined and treated for a potentially contagious condition—reported as tuberculosis—which has delayed court proceedings.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, 76% of tuberculosis cases in the United States occurred among foreign-born persons, with Venezuela ranking among the countries of birth for these cases, reporting 66 cases and an incidence rate of 20.7 per 100,000 foreign-born Venezuelans.
TB in the Top 30 Countries of Birth for Non-U.S.–Born Persons — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
In Chicago, Black residents, who comprise 29% of the population, accounted for 74% of homicide victims from May 2023 through April 2024, while Hispanic residents, 29% of the population, accounted for 21% of victims, making Black residents significantly overrepresented in homicide victimization.
Black, Hispanic Chicagoans made up 95% of homicide victims — Illinois Policy Institute
Nationally in the United States, homicides are predominantly intra-racial, with approximately 84% of White victims killed by White offenders and 89% of Black victims killed by Black offenders based on 2019-2023 aggregated data.
Race and crime in the United States — Wikipedia (citing FBI Uniform Crime Reports)
Rogers Park, the Chicago neighborhood where the suspect was arrested, has a diverse population with 45% White, 23% Hispanic, 22% Black, and 6% Asian residents as of 2023, reflecting a stable demographic composition since 2020 with minor increases in Hispanic population due to recent migration trends.
Beyond U.S. sanctions, key drivers of Venezuelan migration to the United States include political repression, widespread violence, corruption, and lack of basic services, contributing to over 8 million Venezuelans fleeing since 2014, with migration persisting even as inflation cooled to 1.2% in early 2024.
The Persistence of the Venezuelan Migrant and Refugee Crisis — Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
📰 Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 24, 2026
7:37 PM
Chicago mayor asked about city's immigration policies after illegal immigrant allegedly killed college student
New information:
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly addressed Sheridan Gorman’s killing for the first time and was directly asked whether he would apologize to Gorman’s parents for city immigration policies that critics say 'directly caused her death.'
- Johnson declined to apologize, instead emphasizing that Chicago’s 'welcoming city' ordinance dates back about 40 years and that both the ordinance and the state Safe-T Act were enacted under earlier leadership, including a Republican governor.
- Johnson said he has not yet spoken with the Gorman family but intends to do so and offered public condolences.
- Johnson criticized President Donald Trump, saying Trump 'refuses to be held accountable' and 'points the finger at everything and everyone else' instead of examining his own responsibility.
- The article reiterates DHS information that suspect Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national, was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 and released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, and notes the Gorman family’s statement blaming policy failures that allowed him to remain in position to commit the crime.
5:33 PM
Suspect in murder of Loyola student misses court date due to tuberculosis as new details emerge
New information:
- Prosecutors say Jose Medina missed his first court appearance on Monday because he is hospitalized and undergoing treatment for tuberculosis.
- CBS reiterates that Medina faces multiple charges in the fatal shooting, including first-degree murder.
- DHS characterization in this piece is that Medina is a Venezuelan man living in the U.S. illegally.
10:00 AM
Chicago police detail how illegal immigrant accused of killing college student was caught: arrest report
New information:
- Arrest report says Jose Medina was captured unmasked on lobby video in his apartment building shortly after the shooting, waiting for an elevator.
- A building engineer told police he recognized Medina from the video because of his very distinct limp and gait, which matched the masked gunman seen leaving the scene.
- Timeline details: the shooter in black clothing and a black mask with a distinct limp was seen leaving the scene at 1:12 a.m., walking toward Pratt Boulevard and then through an alley to the rear of his apartment complex.
- Images from the building were run through a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection positively identified the suspect as Jose Medina, leading to his arrest at his Rogers Park apartment.
- Fox includes fuller biographical and obituary details about victim Sheridan Gorman, emphasizing her activities, personality and community role.
March 23, 2026
7:40 PM
Pritzker breaks silence on migrant charged in student’s murder, blames Trump for ‘politicizing’ case
New information:
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office issued its first public statement on Sheridan Gorman’s killing, calling it a 'senseless murder' and accusing the Trump administration of 'politicizing heinous tragedies.'
- Pritzker’s office declined to answer whether he will direct Illinois authorities to comply with the Laken Riley Act requirement to hold undocumented suspects like Medina-Medina for federal pickup.
- The article foregrounds Illinois’s TRUST Act limits on honoring ICE detainers without a federal criminal warrant and highlights that this state framework remains in place despite the new federal Laken Riley Act.
- The piece notes GOP criticism that Pritzker responded quickly to separate federal-agent-involved killings in Minneapolis but stayed silent for days on Gorman’s case.
- It confirms that Medina-Medina’s Monday detention hearing was continued because he is being quarantined amid concerns he may have tuberculosis.
7:23 PM
Critic slams Chicago's 'revolving door' as Loyola student killing sparks outrage
New information:
- DHS confirmation, as cited here, that Medina-Medina entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration and was then apprehended and released into the country.
- DHS-confirmed prior Chicago arrest of Medina-Medina for shoplifting, plus William J. Kelly’s claim—presented as his allegation, not proven fact—that Medina had been arrested multiple times for what he calls 'deportable offenses.'
- On-the-record reaction from Gorman’s family explicitly blaming 'policies and failures' and rejecting the idea of 'second chances that put others at risk,' calling the killing a 'violent and preventable act.'
- Detailed criticism from veteran Chicago reporter William J. Kelly of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s alleged 'catch-and-release' approach to migrant crime and claims that CPD is being told 'not to touch the illegals, not to detain them, not to turn them over to ICE.'
4:37 PM
Illegal immigrant charged in college student’s murder hauled into court in latest arrest
New information:
- Confirms the suspect, 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina, has been formally charged by Chicago police with first‑degree murder, first‑degree attempted murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
- Specifies that the victim, 18‑year‑old Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman from Westchester County, New York, was allegedly shot while trying to flee with friends around 1 a.m. Thursday near Tobey Prinz Beach Park and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Details the suspect’s prior U.S. encounters: apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023 and released under the Biden administration, then arrested for shoplifting in Chicago and released on June 19, 2023.
- Reports that ICE has now lodged an immigration detainer against Medina following the alleged murder.
- Includes a new, pointed statement from DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis publicly urging Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago’s ‘sanctuary politicians’ not to release Medina from jail back into American neighborhoods.
- Carries a lengthy statement from Sheridan Gorman’s family blaming ‘policies and failures’ in the immigration system for allowing the suspect to remain in a position to commit the crime and demanding full prosecution under both state and federal law.
- Quotes local Alderwoman Maria Hadden framing the killing as a possible ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ encounter with an armed individual while students were ‘doing normal things’ in the neighborhood.
March 22, 2026
10:38 PM
Illegal immigrant accused of killing Loyola student released under Biden, DHS says
New information:
- DHS identifies the suspect as 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina and confirms he was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, then released into the country during the Biden administration.
- DHS confirms Medina‑Medina was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023, and released again prior to the alleged murder.
- ICE says it has lodged an immigration detainer on Medina‑Medina and publicly calls on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago sanctuary‑city officials not to release him from local custody.
- Chicago police sources say Medina‑Medina is being quarantined for a potentially contagious condition, possibly tuberculosis, and describe the shooting as an apparent ambush by a masked gunman.
- Investigators have recovered a firearm believed connected to the killing and are awaiting gunshot‑residue test results.
1:58 AM
Venezuelan migrant arrested after Loyola Chicago student fatally shot near campus
New information:
- Chicago police have arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with Sheridan Gorman’s death, according to an arrest report obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
- Sources cited by Fox News say the suspect is a migrant from Venezuela.
- Records indicate the suspect was identified within minutes of the shooting because of a 'distinct limp.'
- Loyola University Chicago President Mark C. Reed sent a letter to students confirming Gorman’s death and calling it a tragic loss.
March 20, 2026
1:56 PM
Slain Loyola Chicago student's family fumes over 'murder,' manhunt for masked gunman in attack near campus
New information:
- Family issued a statement to NBC Chicago explicitly calling Sheridan Gorman’s killing 'murder' and describing her as someone who 'made people feel seen, safe, and loved.'
- Fox cites Chicago police as believing Gorman was not the intended target of the shooting.
- Article reiterates that the shooter was masked and that a suspect description has not yet been released, with no arrests made.
- Loyola’s campus alert specified the shooting occurred on the Tobey Prinz Beach pier around 1:15 a.m. and noted police are probing possible ties to other recent violent incidents nearby.