Venezuelan Migrant Accused in Loyola Student Killing Entered Under Biden and Was Previously Arrested, DHS Says
DHS says the man arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman is 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina, who was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023 and later released into the country under the Biden administration; Chicago police sources say the masked suspect was identified quickly because of a distinct limp. ICE says Medina‑Medina was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023 and released before the killing, has an immigration detainer lodged against him, and authorities say they have recovered a firearm, are awaiting gunshot‑residue results, and are quarantining him for a possible contagious condition.
📌 Key Facts
- Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola Chicago student, was fatally shot on the Tobey Prinz Beach pier around 1:15 a.m.; Loyola President Mark C. Reed confirmed her death and her family called it "murder," describing her as someone who "made people feel seen, safe, and loved."
- Chicago police say the shooter was masked and the attack has been described as an apparent ambush, though investigators believe Gorman may not have been the intended target; early reports noted no suspect description had been released.
- Investigators recovered a firearm believed connected to the killing and are awaiting gunshot-residue test results; sources say the suspect was identified within minutes of the shooting because of a distinct limp.
- Chicago police arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with Gorman's death; DHS identified him as Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina.
- DHS and records say Medina‑Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and released into the country during the Biden administration; he was later 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 urged 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.
📊 Relevant Data
Rogers Park, the Chicago neighborhood where the accused lived, had a population that was approximately 40% White, 23% Hispanic, 25% Black, and 7% Asian as of 2022, reflecting significant demographic diversity amid ongoing immigration trends in the area.
Rogers Park: Glimpses of a Chicago neighborhood that reflects city's diversity — Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago's metropolitan area received over 96,000 international migrants in 2024, contributing to population growth amid domestic outmigration, with net international migration totaling 238,000 since 2020.
Chicago area gets over 96K international migrants in 2024 — Illinois Policy Institute
In 2023, the disparity in homicide rates between Black and White residents in Chicago decreased by 50% compared to 2021, though Black residents still faced significantly higher rates.
2023 End-of-Year Analysis: Chicago Crime Trends — University of Chicago Crime Lab
Illinois' sanctuary policies, including the TRUST Act, prohibit local law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers, leading to the release of individuals like the accused after prior arrests, with an estimated 550,000 undocumented immigrants living in the state as of 2023.
Opinion: What Illinois Democrats can do to reduce ICE operations — Chicago Tribune
U.S. encounters with Venezuelan migrants at the border totaled 831,473 since 2020, driven by Venezuela's economic and political crises, with policies like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extended in 2023 allowing many to remain legally in the U.S.
U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Venezuelan Migration, Notes from Mexico, Border Barriers — WOLA
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- 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.