Loyola Chicago Student Sheridan Gorman Fatally Shot Near Campus
Chicago police are investigating the early Thursday killing of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, who was shot in the head around 1:15–1:30 a.m. while walking with friends near the school’s Lake Shore Campus in the city’s Rogers Park neighborhood. The shooting occurred on or near the pier at Tobey Prinz (Pratt Avenue) Beach in the 1000 block of West Pratt Boulevard, when a male suspect wearing a face covering approached the group and opened fire. Gorman died at the scene, and no other injuries were reported; authorities have not released a fuller suspect description, no arrests have been made, and the motive remains unknown. Loyola President Mark C. Reed notified students in a letter calling the killing a 'tragic loss,' while the university said it is working with law enforcement, believes there is no ongoing threat to campus based on current information, and is offering counseling along with a vigil at Madonna della Strada Chapel. The case highlights ongoing concerns over student safety in urban campuses, with local social media already questioning late-night security and prior violent incidents in the district cited in the campus safety alert.
📌 Key Facts
- Victim identified as 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman.
- Shooting occurred around 1:15–1:30 a.m. Thursday on or near the pier at Tobey Prinz (Pratt Avenue) Beach in the 1000 block of West Pratt Boulevard, near Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.
- Police say a male suspect wearing a face covering approached Gorman and her friends and fired; she was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, with no arrests yet and motive unclear.
- Loyola’s president issued a campus-wide letter, and the university is coordinating with Chicago police, stating there is no known ongoing campus threat and offering counseling and a vigil at Madonna della Strada Chapel.
📊 Relevant Data
In Chicago, Black residents are 20 times more likely to be homicide victims than White residents, with Black Chicagoans comprising 77% of homicide victims where race is known in recent data, despite making up about 29% of the city's population.
Black Chicagoans 20X likelier to be homicide victims; arrest rate hits record low — Illinois Policy Institute
Homicide victims in Chicago are predominantly male, with 84% of victims being male according to 2020 data, which persists in recent trends.
Violence Reduction Dashboard — City of Chicago
In Chicago, the majority of homicides are intra-racial, with 94% of cases involving Black perpetrators being intra-racial and 69% for Hispanic perpetrators based on 2025 data.
Homicides in Chicago by Race 2025 | Statistics & Facts — The Global Statistics
Rogers Park in Chicago has a crime grade of B-, with an overall crime index of 135 (national average 100), indicating moderately higher crime rates but not among the city's highest.
Rogers Park Crime Statistics - Chicago, IL 2026 — DoorProfit
Rogers Park is a diverse neighborhood with demographics including 45% White, 23% Hispanic, 22% Black, and 6% Asian residents, based on recent data.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time