Sheridan Gorman: Venezuelan Migrant Charged in Fatal Chicago Beach Shooting

On March 23, 2026, Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old student at Loyola University Chicago, was confirmed dead after a March 19 shooting near a pier at Tobey Prinz Beach, and police announced charges against a suspect in the case.

Chicago police say 25-year-old Jose Medina faces counts including first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm for the attack. Authorities reported a single shot struck Gorman in the torso as she and friends walked north of the Rogers Park campus. Medina is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an arrest detainer hours before the charges were announced.

Federal officials stated Medina, born in Venezuela, was taken into Border Patrol custody in May 2023, released, and detained again two months later on a misdemeanor retail theft charge tied to State Street Macy’s; that matter shows an outstanding warrant. Records indicate he stayed at a temporary migrant shelter at the Leone Beach Park Field House, which closed in 2024, and was among thousands of migrants who arrived in Chicago in recent years. Acting Department of Homeland Security officials linked the case to sanctuary policy debates and urged state authorities to retain custody; the governor’s office declined immediate comment. The Illinois TRUST Act, enacted under a previous governor, restricts local cooperation with federal immigration agents unless a federal criminal warrant is issued. Gorman’s family has called for accountability as the case proceeds through the courts.