A Loyola University Chicago student was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant who was released into the United States under the Biden administration after crossing the border in 2023, prosecutors revealed in court Friday.

Deadly Encounter at Rogers Park Pier

Sheridan Gorman, 20, was with friends at a Rogers Park pier just after 1 a.m. on March 19 when she spotted Jose Medina-Medina, 25, hiding behind a lighthouse. She mouthed to her friends that someone was there, prompting Medina-Medina to emerge and chase the group while firing his weapon. Gorman was struck in the upper back as they fled. Her friends called 911 twice before finding a place to hide. When they returned to check on Gorman, she was unresponsive and later pronounced dead.

Border Crossing and Release

Department of Homeland Security records confirm Medina-Medina entered the country illegally on May 9, 2023. He turned himself in at the Texas border, where he was detained before being released and transported by bus to Chicago. His attorney stated that Medina-Medina had requested to be sent back to Colombia, where his mother had relocated, but officials instead sent him to a Chicago shelter. While there, he contracted tuberculosis. Immigration officials have now filed an immigration detainer for Medina-Medina, who faces charges including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and illegal weapons possession.

Family Demands Justice

In a statement following Friday’s court hearing, the Gorman family emphasized their daughter was doing something ordinary that any parent would expect their child to do safely. They acknowledged the defense’s call for compassion regarding Medina-Medina’s background but stressed a critical distinction. The family said every life has a story, but they cannot lose sight of the devastating truth that Sheridan had a life too. A judge ordered Medina-Medina detained pending trial. His detention hearing was postponed from Monday to Friday due to tuberculosis treatment at Cook County Jail’s medical division.