Illegal Immigrant Accused of Ambushing Loyola Student as Family Demands Answers
CONTENT WARNING: Some details in this report may be disturbing to readers.
Chilling new details from prosecutors reveal the terrifying final moments before 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman was gunned down in what authorities describe as a calculated ambush — allegedly carried out by an illegal immigrant who had been released into the United States under Biden-era policies.
According to court testimony, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina was hiding behind a lighthouse on a Rogers Park pier shortly after 1 a.m. on March 19. Gorman was spending time with friends when she spotted him lurking in the shadows. She reportedly returned to her group and quietly mouthed the words, “there’s a man behind the lighthouse,” before the suspect suddenly charged toward them and opened fire.
As the young women ran for their lives — calling 911 twice — prosecutors say Gorman was shot in the upper back. Her friends, unaware at first that she had been hit, continued running until they found safety. When they returned, Sheridan was unresponsive.
Authorities say Medina-Medina entered the United States illegally on May 9, 2023. He was apprehended at the Texas border but ultimately released into the country. Federal officials later confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has since filed a detainer against him.
The suspect now faces a long list of serious charges:
- First-degree murder
- Attempted murder
- Aggravated assault
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm
- Illegal possession of a weapon
A judge ordered him held without release pending trial.
Defense Cites Troubled Past
In court, Medina-Medina’s attorney pointed to his difficult background. While living in Colombia, he suffered a gunshot wound to the head, losing part of his skull and brain tissue. His lawyer claimed he functions at a diminished cognitive level, struggles with epilepsy, and cannot read or write. The defense also said he had previously requested to be returned to Colombia but was transported to Chicago instead.
At one point, he lived in a city-sponsored migrant shelter in Rogers Park. Records show he was arrested in 2023 for allegedly shoplifting more than $130 worth of merchandise from a downtown Chicago Macy’s store. He failed to appear in court, leaving an active warrant outstanding before this latest tragedy.
Investigators described the shooting as an apparent ambush, with the suspect allegedly wearing a face covering at the time of the attack. Surveillance video later captured him unmasked in the lobby of his apartment building waiting for an elevator. A building engineer reportedly identified him by a distinctive limp. Law enforcement matched his image using federal immigration databases.
“Sheridan Had a Life Too”
During Friday’s hearing, members of Sheridan’s family and friends watched remotely as the details unfolded. In a heartbreaking statement, her family said they listened as the accused was described through the lens of his hardships and background.
“We heard a call for compassion,” her family said. “Every life has a story. But we cannot lose sight of the simple, devastating truth at the center of all of this: Sheridan had a life too.”
They made clear that their daughter was exactly where she should have been that night — enjoying time with friends, doing nothing reckless, nothing dangerous.
“She was 18 years old. She was living her life, surrounded by friends, doing something entirely normal,” they said. “And yet, she is gone.”
Sheridan, a native of Yorktown Heights, New York, was remembered as a young woman of deep faith, warmth, and compassion. Her obituary described her as someone who uplifted everyone around her, radiating kindness and fierce love for her family and community.
The family emphasized that her death was not a reflection of the Loyola community but rather the result of a failure beyond it. They posed a question many Americans are now asking: How does a young woman lose her life in a place where she should have been safe?
This is a tragedy that strikes at the heart of the nation’s ongoing border crisis debate. An illegal immigrant, previously apprehended and released, now stands accused of taking the life of a promising young American woman. Sheridan’s family is demanding justice — and answers.
As this case moves forward, one fact remains unchanged: a vibrant 18-year-old life was stolen. And no explanation offered in a courtroom can give her back.
