Parents of slain Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman demand answers on her "preventable murder"

Key Points:

• Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman, was fatally shot on March 19 by a masked gunman while walking with friends near Lake Michigan; police describe the shooting as random, but her parents call it a "preventable murder."
• The suspect, 26-year-old Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally in 2023, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm; he has not yet entered a plea.
• Medina had prior encounters with law enforcement, including a shoplifting arrest and failure to appear in court, yet was released back into the community, prompting Gorman's parents to demand accountability and better cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities.
• Medina's public defender claims he has the mental capacity of a child due to a past brain injury, but the Gorman family disputes this, emphasizing his ability to plan and carry out the shooting.
• While Sheridan's death has been used politically to advocate for stricter immigration policies, her parents focus on seeking justice and systemic change to prevent similar tragedies in the future.