Chicago Loyola Student Shooting: Suspect Medina’s Detention Delayed, Immigration Status Revealed
The pretrial detention hearing for Jose Medina, accused of fatally shooting Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman, was postponed Monday as authorities confirmed he is currently hospitalized with tuberculosis. The hearing revealed further details about the alleged shooting and Medina’s prior criminal history, while intensifying scrutiny of how he remained free despite previous arrests and a federal immigration detainer.
Medina, 25, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated use of a firearm in connection with the Thursday shooting in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Gorman, 18, of New York, was walking with friends when she was struck by gunfire, according to police.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, of the Archdiocese of Chicago, spoke of the Gorman family’s grief. “Tom and Jessica… the parents of Sheridan are taking this very hard. Tom said to me on the phone, you know, ‘Every parent says that their kid is the best in the world, but mine was,’” he said.
Federal officials have stated Medina is an undocumented immigrant who entered the country in 2023. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed Medina was initially taken into custody by Border Patrol in 2023. Despite this, he was released and subsequently arrested by Chicago police later that year for retail theft at a Macy’s store.
Court records indicate Medina failed to appear for his court date related to the retail theft charge, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant. An attorney representing the Gorman family released a statement criticizing the failures that allowed Medina to remain free. “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.”
DHS has filed an ICE arrest detainer, seeking to accept Medina into federal custody for deportation proceedings. However, Illinois officials maintain that Medina must first face the felony charges in Chicago. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza stated, “This person has to be held accountable to the highest extent of the law, which in his case, because he is here illegally, would require him, at some point, to be deported, either to fulfill his sentence or after fulfilling his sentence.”
According to prosecutors, Medina was allegedly hiding near a pier when Gorman and her friends passed by. Witnesses reported seeing a man concealing himself in the area and described his gait as “very distinct and slow.” Police say Medina, wearing a mask and dark clothing, opened fire as the group attempted to flee.
Following the shooting, police used surveillance footage to track Medina to his home near North Sheridan Road, a short distance from the scene. A lobby camera captured an image of Medina without a mask, which was then matched to records held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, identifying him as a Venezuelan national. A search of Medina’s apartment allegedly uncovered the clothing he was wearing during the shooting and a 40-caliber handgun consistent with the shell casings found at the scene.
Former President Donald Trump addressed the shooting Monday, stating, “It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast. That’s why ICE is so important. They’re doing such a good job.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office issued a statement expressing condolences to the Gorman family and emphasizing the require for accountability. The statement similarly criticized Trump’s response, calling on him to “stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts.”
Ald. Ray Lopez, representing Chicago’s 15th Ward, argued the tragedy could have been prevented with changes to existing laws. “Because we refuse to amend our laws in a way that makes sense while still allowing us to open up our communities to those who want to be here, who want to make our city and state and country better, a life has been taken,” Lopez said.
Medina is scheduled to return to court on Friday, pending medical clearance for his release from the hospital. The Gorman family has requested continued public attention to the case, emphasizing the importance of their daughter’s life and the circumstances surrounding her death.