Venezuelan migrant charged with murder of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman
Chicago Sun-Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Jose Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated discharge of a firearm in the March 19 killing of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman near Tobey Prinz Beach.
- Medina was previously taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol in 2023 and charged with misdemeanor retail theft; an outstanding warrant related to that case remains active.
- Federal authorities criticized Illinois' sanctuary policies, citing the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local police cooperation with immigration enforcement, as a factor that allowed Medina to remain free.
- Gorman’s family condemned the policies that they say failed to prevent the crime, calling for full prosecution and accountability, and rejecting the notion that the shooting was random or unavoidable.
- The incident has sparked political controversy, with Trump administration officials blaming sanctuary policies for the killing, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office has yet to comment.
