The mother of the college student police say was killed by an illegal immigrant spoke out days after her daughter was killed, refusing to address the man accused of her murder.
Jose Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, was arrested on Friday after allegedly killing Sheridan Gorman, 18, one day earlier near Tobey Prinz Beach. A police source earlier told Fox News that the Thursday shooting was an apparent ambush, adding that the suspect was reportedly wearing some kind of face mask or covering.
Jessica Gorman, Sheridan’s mother, told the New York Post, “We are gonna get justice for Sheridan.”
“We have a voice and it’s gonna be heard,” she said. “We are beyond shattered.”
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The mother said her family wouldn’t be addressing Medina, saying they’re choosing to focus on their daughter’s life.
“We are really focusing this week specifically on burying our daughter. We are really focusing on the beauty of her life,” Jessica Gorman said. “We are not addressing this man.”
“We decided this week we are only going to focus on Sheridan and celebrating our beauty.”
Jessica Gorman said she’s heartbroken after her daughter’s murder as she spoke through tears.
“When they say that your heart is broken or it feels like it’s ripped out of your chest, it’s real,” Jessica said through tears. “It’s so real, I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone.”
According to ABC7 Chicago, an arrest warrant was issued after Medina failed to appear in court after he faced shoplifting charges in 2023. That warrant was still outstanding when he allegedly killed Gorman.
Archdiocese of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said he has spoken with Gorman’s parents.
“Tom and Jessica… the parents of Sheridan are taking this very hard. Tom said to me on the phone, you know, ‘Every parent says that their kid is the best in the world, but mine was,'” Cupich said.
An arrest report obtained by Fox News Digital states that after the shooting, Medina was seen on video in his apartment building’s lobby waiting for an elevator while he wasn’t masked. A building engineer told police that he knew the suspect who had a “very distinct limp and gait.”
Images of the suspect were sent to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina. He was arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park, according to the arrest report.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show that Medina told officials he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants. The city-sponsored shelter closed in 2024, according to South Side Weekly.
After the shooting at 1:06 a.m. on Thursday, police said in the arrest report that a male in black clothing, wearing a black mask and walking with a “distinct limp and slow gait” was seen walking from the location of the shooting to Pratt Boulevard at 1:12 a.m. A few minutes later, he was seen walking northbound through the east alley of Sheridan Road before he entered the back of his apartment complex.
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Gorman, who attended Yorktown High School in Yorktown Heights, New York, was described in an obituary as someone who “had a way of making people feel seen, valued, and believed in.” While in high school, Gorman participated in field hockey, lacrosse, and bowling “among many other activities.”
“People often say someone ‘lit up a room’ or had ‘inner and outer beauty,’ but in Sheridan’s case, those phrases fall way too short. She radiated something even greater—a rare and unmistakable warmth, a spirit that was vibrant, compassionate, and full of life. She was funny, kind, and deeply loving, with a heart that made space for everyone,” her obituary states. “She loved fiercely—her family, her friends, her community, and her faith. She brought people together, lifted them up, and made the ordinary moments feel extraordinary simply by being in them.”
“Though her life was far too short, Sheridan’s impact is immeasurable. She will forever be remembered as a bright, beautiful soul whose love continues to shine in all who knew her,” stated the obituary.
Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Following an arrest for shoplifting in Chicago, Medina was released on June 19, 2023, DHS said.
He was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with discharge of firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Chicago Police Department.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an arrest detainer against Medina following the alleged murder.
“We are calling on Governor Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.
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In a new statement to Fox News, Gorman’s family said their daughter’s death was a result of systemic failure within the immigration system.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime. When systems fail—whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act—the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent,” the family said. “This case must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of both state and federal law. There can be no gaps, no shortcuts, and no second chances that put others at risk. Accountability must be complete.”
Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, in a statement, claimed that the Trump administration is politicizing Gorman’s death/
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and Loyola University community grieving the senseless murder of Sheridan Gorman. Violent crime has no place in our streets, and we expect the alleged perpetrator to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The Trump Administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts,” Pritzker’s office said.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden told Fox 32 Chicago that Gorman’s death seemed to be a case of “wrong place at the wrong time.”
“The kids were out doing normal things people do in the neighborhood,” she said. “They may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, running into a person who had a gun.”
Medina is scheduled to be in court on Friday morning.
