Suspect in murder of college girl due Monday; charged
A Venezuelan illegal migrant accused by investigators as the killer is set to appear on a court date this week for his alleged execution-style slaying at Loyola University Chicago of 18-year-old freshman Sheridan Gorman. The suspect entered U.S.
Key Points
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1Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old student at Loyola University in Westchester County/NY (as per some reports) or from New York generally, has been killed by Jose Medina-Medina.
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2Jose Medina is identified as a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally under President Biden and was previously released after being caught for shoplifting while on an ICE detainer.
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3The suspect's release in 2023 following his initial arrest created friction between federal immigration officials (ICE/DHS) and state/local authorities regarding sanctuary policies, though he has since been re-arrested.
Developments
Sheridan Gorman was killed on March 19 in Chicago after being shot while walking with friends near Loyola University's campus; police allege the crime was committed by Jose Medina, a man living illegally who had been observed acting strangely that day. Campus leaders mourned her death as an act of murder and described their grief over losing "a beautiful person" whose life ended prematurely at age 18 while finishing freshman year in New York state native Gorman's family remains with the loss
Sheridan Gorman died after being fatally shot by Jose Medina while walking near Tobey Prinz Beach on Chicago's Rogers Park pier. Police have charged 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant with first-degree murder and other felonies, though he was hospitalized for tuberculosis before his court appearance due to an ICE arrest detainer preventing local release of the suspect initially filed charges against him
Federal officials have identified Jose Medina as an undocumented Venezuelan national who should not have been released after his 2023 arrest for shoplifting. Consequently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer to prevent the Illinois State's release of him following charges related to the murder of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman in Chicago last week.
Sheridan Gorman's mother vowed to seek justice for their daughter but refused to acknowledge or address Jose Medina-Medina during a recent visit. The 18-year-old was killed by masked gunman who fired one shot at her near Chicago while she and friends were attempting to view the northern lights, an attack captured on security cameras before his arrest.
Jose Medina-Medina was arrested on first-degree murder charges for allegedly shooting and killing Sheridan Gorman near Lake Michigan while the suspect had entered the United States illegally from Venezuela two years prior to his arrest. Following federal officials' statement that open border policies failed by allowing this individual's release, Gorman's family condemned those same immigration failures as directly responsible for her death.