Parents Of Slain Loyola Student Call Killing A Preventable Murder And Question Suspect's Immigration Handling
Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman, was fatally shot while fleeing a masked gunman on campus. Police have charged 26-year-old Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national, with first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. The attack occurred earlier this month in Chicago as Gorman warned friends about the masked shooter and ran away.
Gorman's parents, Jessica and Thomas, call their daughter's killing "a preventable murder" and want accountability and better cooperation between local and federal authorities. The Department of Homeland Security says Medina crossed the southern border in May 2023, was stopped and released by U.S. Border Patrol, and later arrested in Chicago for shoplifting. He was released after the shoplifting arrest and later missed a court date, prompting a bench warrant. Defense attorney Julie Koehler says Medina suffered a 2018 head gunshot in Colombia that left him with the "mental capacity of a child," but the Gormans dispute that description. They point to his ability to obtain a gun, wear a mask, and lie in wait as evidence of planning.
The case has become part of a broader national debate about immigration enforcement and public safety. The Trump campaign and other Republican groups have used Gorman's death to argue for tougher immigration policies. Her parents say they do not want her death politicized, but they do want changes to how noncitizens who commit crimes are handled. Mainstream reporting initially focused on the shooting and the suspect's arrest, but recent coverage has emphasized immigration questions and policy implications, driven in part by network reports and social media amplification. That shift accelerated after the Department of Homeland Security released its timeline and political actors began citing it. On social platforms, CBS posts showed the parents' public pleas and generated widespread comment about campus safety and immigration enforcement.
📌 Key Facts
- Victim: Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman, was shot in the back and neck while fleeing after warning friends about a masked gunman.
- Suspect: 26-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina has been charged with first-degree murder and illegal firearm possession; DHS describes him as an undocumented immigrant who crossed the U.S. border illegally in May 2023.
- DHS chronology: Medina was apprehended and released by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023; a little over a month later he was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago, was released by local authorities, missed a court date and subsequently became the subject of an arrest warrant.
- Sheridan’s parents, Jessica and Thomas Gorman, call the killing a "preventable murder," say Medina should have been turned over to federal custody after the shoplifting arrest, and are urging stronger cooperation between local and federal authorities on handling noncitizens who commit crimes.
- Defense claim and family response: Defense attorney Julie Koehler says Medina suffered a 2018 gunshot wound to the head in Colombia that left him with the "mental capacity of a child," a characterization the Gormans publicly dispute, citing his alleged ability to obtain a gun, wear a mask and lie in wait.
- Political response: The Trump administration has used Sheridan Gorman’s death in messaging for a tougher immigration stance; the Gormans say they do not want her death politicized but do want accountability.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms the victim’s name as Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman, and details she was shot in the back and neck while fleeing after warning friends of a masked gunman.
- Identifies the suspect as 26-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina, charged with first-degree murder and illegal firearm possession, described by DHS as an undocumented immigrant who crossed illegally in May 2023.
- DHS chronology: Medina was apprehended and released by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023, then arrested for shoplifting in Chicago a little over a month later, released, and later became the subject of an arrest warrant after missing court.
- Defense attorney Julie Koehler claims Medina suffered a 2018 gunshot wound to the head in Colombia that left him with the 'mental capacity of a child'; Sheridan’s parents publicly dispute that, citing his ability to obtain a gun, wear a mask, and lie in wait.
- Parents Jessica and Thomas Gorman explicitly call the killing a 'preventable murder' and urge stronger cooperation between local and federal authorities on handling noncitizens who commit crimes, saying Medina should have been turned over to federal custody after the shoplifting arrest.
- Article notes the Trump administration has begun using Sheridan Gorman’s death in messaging for a tougher immigration stance, while the parents say they do not want her death politicized but do want accountability.