CHICAGO (WLS) — A man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Loyola University student, Chicago police said.
Earlier Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was requesting the suspect, who was being questioned in connection with the Loyola University student’s murder and is now facing murder charges, not be released from custody.
The Department of Homeland Security says ICE issued an arrest detainer, and alleges the suspect is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela.
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Jose Medina, 25, of Chicago has been charged in the shooting, Chicago police announced Sunday evening. The charges include first-degree murder.
CPD officials said Medina was arrested Friday evening in Rogers Park.
A new release from DHS earlier in the day Sunday also named the suspect in the fatal shooting as Jose Medina, and they included a photo of him.
DHS says Medina entered the country illegally in 2023. Court records show he was also arrested that year in Chicago for shoplifting.
On Saturday, CPD said they were questioning a person of interest in connection with Thursday’s deadly shooting, prior to announcing the charge against the suspect on Sunday.
Sheridan Gorman, 18, was walking with friends at Tobey Prinz Beach, less than 1 mile from campus, around 1 a.m. Thursday.
A male suspect approached the group on foot, took out a gun, and opened fire, police said.
Gorman, shot in the head, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The student, a New York native, was just months away from finishing her first year of college. Police say she was not the intended target.
Gorman’s family asked anyone with information to come forward.
The family also said private and public services to honor Gorman’s life are being planned for next week in Yorktown, New York.
Gorman’s relatives have described her as “the light of our lives,” saying, “she made people feel seen, safe, and loved simply by being who she was.”
Medina is expected to appear in court Monday for a pre-trial detention hearing.
Gorman’s family issued the following statements after the charges were announced:
“We acknowledge the arrest of the individual accused of taking our daughter’s life and thank the Chicago Police Department, Area Three Detectives, and all those involved in the investigation who worked quickly to identify and apprehend him. Their efforts matter. But this is not justice-it is the first step toward it.”
“Sheridan was 18. She had her entire life ahead of her-her education, her future, her family, the countless lives she would have touched. All of that was taken in a moment, and there is no way to repair that loss.”
“What Sheridan was doing that night-walking with friends near her campus-was normal. It was safe. It is what students do every day. We will not allow this to be dismissed as ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ This was not random misfortune. This was a violent and preventable act.”
“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.”
“This case must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of both state and federal law. There can be no gaps, no shortcuts, and no second chances that put others at risk. Accountability must be complete.”
“Our focus right now is on bringing our daughter home and laying her to rest. We are not in a position to participate in interviews and ask that our privacy be respected during this time.”
“This cannot be just another case that fades from public attention. Sheridan’s life mattered. What happened to her matters. And we will make sure she is not forgotten.”
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