Venezuelan Migrant Accused in Loyola Student Killing Faces First‑Degree Murder and Firearm Charges After Prior U.S. Release, DHS Says
Chicago police arrested 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina after Loyola freshman Sheridan Gorman, 18, was fatally shot near the Tobey Prinz Beach pier around 1 a.m.; he has been charged with first‑degree murder, first‑degree attempted murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault with discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, and investigators say a firearm believed linked to the killing was recovered. The Department of Homeland Security says Medina‑Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023 and released into the U.S., was later arrested and released in Chicago on June 19, 2023 for shoplifting, and that ICE has lodged an immigration detainer while DHS officials urge local leaders not to release him; authorities say he is being quarantined for a possible contagious condition as the probe continues.
📌 Key Facts
- Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola University Chicago from Westchester County, New York, was shot near Tobey Prinz Beach Park/pier around 1 a.m. while trying to flee with friends and was pronounced dead at the scene; Loyola’s president and campus alert confirmed her death.
- Chicago police say the shooter was masked and describe the attack as an apparent ambush; investigators also say Gorman may not have been the intended target and that they are probing possible ties to other recent nearby violent incidents.
- Police arrested a 25-year-old Venezuelan national identified by DHS as Jose Medina‑Medina in connection with the killing; sources say he was identified within minutes after the shooting because of a distinct limp.
- Medina‑Medina has been 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.
- DHS and other federal records show Medina‑Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023 and was released into the U.S. during the Biden administration; he was later arrested for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023 and released again.
- ICE has lodged an immigration detainer on Medina‑Medina following the alleged murder, and DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis publicly urged Illinois and Chicago officials not to release him from local custody.
- Investigators say they have recovered a firearm believed connected to the killing and are awaiting gunshot-residue test results; Chicago police sources also say Medina‑Medina is being quarantined for a potentially contagious condition, possibly tuberculosis.
- Gorman’s family issued a statement calling her killing 'murder,' describing her as someone who 'made people feel seen, safe, and loved,' blamed 'policies and failures' in the immigration system for allowing the suspect to remain in a position to commit the crime, and demanded full prosecution under state and federal law.
📊 Relevant Data
Economic and political instability in Venezuela since 2015, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven significant migration to the United States, with the Venezuelan immigrant population growing 318 percent between 2010 and 2023.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Chicago's Venezuelan-born population increased from an estimated 7,175 in 2023 to 19,409 in 2024, representing a roughly 170% growth amid broader immigrant population rises to nearly 600,000 in the city by 2024.
Timeline of Venezuelans in Chicago — Chicago Sun-Times
The surge in immigration to the U.S. since 2023 has boosted demand for housing, leading to increased rental costs and property values, with state and local governments facing higher expenditures on housing support.
Effects of the Surge in Immigration on State and Local Budgets in 2023 — Congressional Budget Office
U.S. policies such as the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in 2023 and the proposed Venezuelan Adjustment Act (H.R.1348) in 2025 aim to provide legal pathways for Venezuelans to remain and adjust status in the U.S.
H.R.1348 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Venezuelan Adjustment Act — Congress.gov
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.