A shocking and tragic case out of Chicago is igniting outrage after prosecutors revealed chilling new details about the killing of 18-year-old college freshman Sheridan “Shera” Gorman.
Authorities say the suspect, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, allegedly gunned down the Loyola University Chicago student in what’s being described as a random and brutal attack on a lakeside pier.
According to prosecutors, the terrifying sequence unfolded around 1:30 a.m. on March 19 at Tobey Prinz Beach. Gorman had been spending time with friends when she suddenly noticed someone hiding nearby. Moments later, panic erupted.
🚨BREAKING UPDATE: Illegal alien from Venezuela accused of killing an 18-year-old Loyola University student.
Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national who came to the United States illegally under the Biden administration in 2023, shot Sheridan Gorman unprovoked while she was… https://t.co/U8KiqtLPEi pic.twitter.com/A5GNxEUeS9
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) March 22, 2026
Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara told the court that Medina allegedly chased the group before opening fire. Gorman was shot in the back as she tried to escape. She died at the scene.
Her friends managed to dive for cover in nearby grass as the suspect fled, reportedly returning to a nearby apartment. Witnesses described him dressed in black, including a face mask.
The randomness of the attack — and the sheer terror of those final moments — has left a community shaken.
Meanwhile, Gorman’s loved ones are remembering a life cut devastatingly short. A GoFundMe created in her honor paints a portrait of a young woman full of faith, love, and warmth.
HOLY CRAP
Hakeem Jeffries says he isn’t sure that the illegal who m*rdered 18yo Sheridan Gorman in Chicago should be deportedpic.twitter.com/p7kQNrY0oU
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 24, 2026
“Shera loved deeply and lived fully,” the page reads. “She had a way of making everyone feel special, seen, and loved.”
But the tragedy is now fueling a much larger and more explosive debate.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Medina-Medina had crossed into the United States in May 2023 and was released into the country under then-President Joe Biden’s catch-and-release policies.
Just one month later, he was arrested in Chicago for shoplifting — and released again.
Because Chicago operates under strict sanctuary policies, local authorities did not turn him over to ICE.
Now, critics are pointing to what they call a catastrophic chain of policy failures — from the southern border to the streets of Chicago — that they argue allowed a dangerous individual to remain free.
