Man accused of killing college student as she walked with friends was in US illegally, DHS says

CHICAGO (WLS) - Federal officials say a 25-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a Loyola University student as she walked with friends near campus entered the United States illegally in 2023.

Chicago Police say 25-year-old Jose Medina is facing felony charges of first-degree murder and aggravated use of a firearm. He is accused of fatally shooting 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University.

Gorman was killed last Thursday as she and a group of friends walked to the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, the family’s attorney said.

“Sheridan was 18. She had her entire life ahead of her – her education, her future, her family, the countless lives she would have touched. All of that was taken in a moment, and there is no way to repair that loss,” said her family in a statement.

Prosecutors say Medina, wearing a mask and all black clothing, was hiding near the pier where Gorman and her friends were walking. When the group came upon him, he allegedly fired shots as they ran.

Gorman was shot in the back and died from her injuries.

After tracking surveillance video, police say Medina was arrested Friday at his apartment just a couple of blocks from the scene. In searching the apartment, officers allegedly found the clothing the suspect was wearing during the shooting and a 40-caliber handgun that matched the shell casings found at the scene.

“This cannot be just another case that fades from public attention. Sheridan’s life mattered. What happened to her matters. And we will make sure she is not forgotten,” the family’s statement said.

The Department of Homeland Security says Medina is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who entered the country illegally in 2023. Court records show an arrest warrant was issued for him that same year after he stopped appearing in court on shoplifting charges.

DHS has filed an ICE arrest detainer, hoping to place Medina in their custody, so he can be deported. But local officials say he needs to face felony charges in Chicago first.

“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’s statement said.

Medina is due in court Friday morning for a pretrial detention hearing. As of Monday, he was being treated at the hospital for tuberculosis.