Venezuelan Migrant Suspect in Custody After Loyola Student Killed in Chicago Shooting
A devastating act of violence has shaken the Chicago community after an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student was fatally shot along the city’s lakefront in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Authorities say the victim, Sheridan Gorman of Westchester County, New York, was walking with friends shortly after 1:30 a.m. when a masked gunman opened fire, striking her in the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant is currently in custody in connection with the killing, according to Fox News. While law enforcement officials have not yet publicly confirmed charges tied specifically to Gorman’s death, investigative details reported by the Chicago Tribune suggest that a “distinct limp” helped authorities identify the suspect within minutes of the shooting.
University leadership confirmed the tragic loss in a message to students. Loyola University Chicago President Mark C. Reed wrote:
“It is with profound sadness that I write to share that one of our students, Sheridan Gorman, was killed earlier today. This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her.”
The senseless nature of the crime has intensified concerns about public safety and immigration enforcement policies. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued an arrest detainer for the suspect, Jose Medina-Medina, urging local officials not to release him back into the community.
According to federal authorities, Medina-Medina had prior encounters with U.S. law enforcement. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him on May 9, 2023, after which he was released into the country under policies enacted during the previous administration. He was later arrested in Chicago for shoplifting and released again on June 19, 2023.
Officials argue that these decisions had tragic consequences.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.
“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” Bis added.
The case has renewed scrutiny over sanctuary policies in Illinois and other jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. In December 2025, ICE Director Todd Lyons formally urged Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to prioritize public safety by honoring federal detainer requests. The request included more than 4,000 individuals in state custody described as criminal illegal aliens, including those accused or convicted of violent offenses.
At the national level, enforcement activity has intensified under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump. Data reviewed by The New York Times indicates that ICE arrests have surged to an average of more than 1,100 per day this year, a significant increase compared to roughly 600 daily arrests last spring.
“New data analyzed by The New York Times reveals that the pace of these arrests has varied across the country in sometimes surprising ways. Some places that did not have high-profile ICE operations this year, such as Florida and San Antonio, have still seen high and steadily increasing numbers of arrests,” the report noted.
“In other areas like Los Angeles and Chicago that were targeted by ICE with aggressive enforcement operations last year, the number of arrests has fallen steeply in recent months. And in some areas — notably many places with so-called sanctuary policies in place — the arrest rate is flat, or up only slightly.
The article added, “The administration’s high-profile operation in Minnesota this year, resulted in a steep increase in arrests there: ICE’s St. Paul field office arrested more than 5,000 people from mid-December through March 10. But four other field offices arrested more people during this same time period, led by the Miami area — with nearly 10,000 arrests — followed by the field offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and San Antonio.”
As the investigation continues, the tragedy has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement, public safety, and the role of sanctuary policies in American cities.