Sheridan Gorman: Venezuelan Migrant Charged in Loyola University Chicago Student's Killing

On March 24, 2026, Chicago authorities announced that José Medina, a 25-year-old migrant from Venezuela, has been charged in the fatal shooting of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old student at Loyola University Chicago. The charges include first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Police say the incident occurred on March 19 near a pier at Tobey Prinz Beach, just north of the Rogers Park campus. Gorman and friends had gone to the shoreline to take photographs when a masked assailant emerged and fired a single shot as the group ran. Gorman was struck in the torso and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told investigators the gunfire did not appear to be aimed at any particular individual.

Federal immigration records show U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer for Medina hours before local authorities announced charges. The Department of Homeland Security says Medina was detained by Border Patrol in May 2023, later released, and then arrested in a separate retail-theft case involving $132.50 in merchandise. Court files indicate a related arrest warrant remains active. Records also show Medina lived temporarily at a migrant shelter in the Leone Beach Park building, which closed in 2024, after arriving among migrants sent to Chicago from Texas.

Political and family responses were swift: the acting DHS secretary criticized sanctuary policies, pointing to limits on local-federal cooperation under the Illinois TRUST Act, while Gorman’s family demanded full accountability. Medina was expected to make his first court appearance Monday; the state governor’s office did not immediately comment.