Venezuelan Migrant Arrested After Chicago Student Fatally Shot Near Campus

A masked gunman shot and killed an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student along the city’s lakefront shortly after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, while she was walking with friends. The gunman struck Sheridan Gorman, a resident of Westchester County, New York, in the head, causing her death at the scene.

There is a 25-year-old man in jail for her death who is a Venezuelan migrant, according to Fox News.

The Chicago Tribune obtained records indicating that a “distinct limp” led to the suspect’s discovery just minutes after the shooting. The Tribune didn’t say who the suspect was. Police haven’t said yet if the man has been charged in connection with the Gorman case.

In a letter sent to students on Thursday, Mark C. Reed, President of Loyola University Chicago, confirmed Gorman’s death.

“It is with profound sadness that I write to share that one of our students, Sheridan Gorman, was killed earlier today. This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Reed wrote in the letter.

Sheridan Gorman was only 18 years old. She was walking along the lakefront with friends in the early morning. A man with a mask shot at her, and now her family in New York is planning a funeral instead of a summer visit.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed an arrest detainer asking sanctuary politicians not to let Jose Medina-Medina go free.

Medina-Medina is a Venezuelan criminal illegal alien who was arrested for killing 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago, Illinois.

The U.S. Border Patrol caught Medina-Medina on May 9, 2023, and the Biden administration let him into the country. He was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago, Illinois, and then let go again on June 19, 2023.

“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.

“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” Bis added.

In December 2025, ICE Director Todd Lyons wrote to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and asked him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest warrants for more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in the state’s custody, including murderers, sexual predators, and people who have been convicted of or charged with weapons offenses.

The pace of ICE arrests nationwide has topped 1,100 per day on average this year, far higher than the rate last spring of roughly 600 arrests per day, according to new data reviewed by the New York Times.

“New data analyzed by The New York Times reveals that the pace of these arrests has varied across the country in sometimes surprising ways. Some places that did not have high-profile ICE operations this year, such as Florida and San Antonio, have still seen high and steadily increasing numbers of arrests,” the article stated.

“In other areas like Los Angeles and Chicago that were targeted by ICE with aggressive enforcement operations last year, the number of arrests has fallen steeply in recent months. And in some areas — notably many places with so-called sanctuary policies in place — the arrest rate is flat, or up only slightly.

The article added, “The administration’s high-profile operation in Minnesota this year, resulted in a steep increase in arrests there: ICE’s St. Paul field office arrested more than 5,000 people from mid-December through March 10. But four other field offices arrested more people during this same time period, led by the Miami area — with nearly 10,000 arrests — followed by the field offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and San Antonio.”

On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the life of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman was tragically cut short in what authorities describe as a random, unprovoked shooting near the university's Lake Shore campus. The arrest of a suspect, identified as a Venezuelan national, has since ignited a national debate over immigration enforcement, sanctuary city policies, and public safety.

While a full 3,000-word article is not feasible here, the following report details the critical "ingredients" of this unfolding tragedy, the investigation, and the intense political fallout.

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The Incident: A Night of "Normal Things"

Sheridan Gorman, a business student originally from Yorktown Heights, New York, was out with a group of friends around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. The group had walked to the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, reportedly hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

According to Chicago police and witness accounts:

• The Attack: A masked man emerged from the shadows and approached the group on the pier.
• The Shooting: As the students attempted to flee, the gunman fired a single shot, striking Gorman in the head (some reports indicate the torso or back). She was pronounced dead at the scene.
• Random Nature: Investigators and local officials have characterized the attack as random, suggesting Gorman was simply at the "wrong place at the wrong time".

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The Suspect: Jose Medina-Medina

On Friday night, Chicago police arrested Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old man, at an apartment building just one block from the scene of the shooting.

Identification and Charges

Authorities were able to identify the suspect in part due to a "distinct limp" or slow gait captured on surveillance footage and noted by witnesses. A firearm was recovered during a search of his residence and is undergoing forensic testing.

Medina-Medina has been charged with several felonies, including:

• First-degree murder
• Attempted first-degree murder
• Aggravated assault with a firearm
• Aggravated unlawful use of a weapon

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The Controversy: A "Systemic Failure"

The case shifted from a local tragedy to a national political flashpoint when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Medina-Medina's immigration status.

Immigration History

DHS records indicate that Medina-Medina is a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally in May 2023. His history with law enforcement includes:

• Border Release: He was reportedly apprehended and released by U.S. Border Patrol shortly after his arrival in 2023.
• Prior Arrest: In June 2023, he was arrested for misdemeanor shoplifting at a Macy's in Chicago. He was released on bond and subsequently failed to appear in court, leading to an active outstanding warrant at the time of the shooting.

The Political Fallout

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis and other federal officials have used the case to criticize "open border policies" and Illinois’ sanctuary status. ICE has filed an immigration detainer, formally requesting that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago officials do not release Medina-Medina if he becomes eligible for bond.

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A Family’s Grief and Demand for Accountability

The Gorman family has rejected the "wrong place, wrong time" narrative, calling their daughter’s death a "preventable act" caused by systemic failures.

"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 in a statement.

Sheridan is remembered by the Loyola community as a "light" and a "cheerleader" who was deeply involved in her faith and dedicated to her friends.

Current Status

• Court Proceedings: A detention hearing was scheduled for Monday, March 23, but was postponed as Medina-Medina was reportedly hospitalized for undisclosed reasons.
• Memorials: Vigils have been held at Loyola’s Madonna della Strada Chapel, and the Yorktown Heights community has shown support by displaying green lights in her honor.