'She Should Be Here': Family Demands Accountability As Loyola Student's Killing Fuels Immigration Debate

CHICAGO, IL — The fatal shooting of a freshman at Loyola University Chicago has sparked a heated political debate across the U.S. regarding immigration enforcement and sanctuary policies, as the alleged shooter, an illegal immigrant, is expected in court Friday.

Meanwhile, the family of Sheridan Gorman, 18, released a statement Wednesday, criticizing officials on their public reactions to Gorman's death, the New York Post is reporting.

“What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to a ‘senseless tragedy,’ nor can it be explained in general terms about public safety. Sheridan was our daughter. She was 18 years old. She was doing something entirely normal — walking near her campus with friends. She should be here,” according to the statement.

Gorman, a Loyola University freshman, was killed around 1:30 a.m. Thursday while walking with friends in the 1000 block of West Pratt Boulevard, which is just north of campus near several Lake Michigan beaches, according to police.

Jose Medina-Medina, 25, is accused of approaching the group wearing dark clothing and a mask and opening fire, striking Gorman as she attempted to flee. Gorman, a native of Yorktown, New York, died at the scene, according to authorities.

• Man Arrested In Slaying Of Loyola Student Sheridan Gorman: Report

Medina-Medina, of Rogers Park, has since been charged with murder in connection with the shooting.

• Man Charged With Murder In Loyola Student's Killing: Police

Medina-Medina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents on May 9, 2023, and released into the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was again arrested in June 2023 for shoplifting in Chicago and later released, according to DHS.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

A Department of Justice list compiled under the Trump administration identified about 13 “sanctuary states,” including Washington, D.C., as jurisdictions with laws or policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to DHS.

The list also included several counties and 18 cities. Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago were included.

In 2017, former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner enacted the Illinois TRUST Act, which restricts local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration officials. The law prevents police from police from providing information to immigration authorities or transferring individuals in custody unless a federal criminal warrant exists or other federal law specifically requires it.

Republicans have repeatedly criticized sanctuary policies, arguing the laws hinder public safety.

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in August. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

Democrats, by contrast, defend such measures as essential for protecting immigrant communities and fostering trust between residents and local police.

Case Ignites Debate Over Sanctuary Policies

Gorman's killing has intensified debate over immigration enforcement, drawing reactions from elected officials across Illinois.

Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker acknowledged “real failures” in the immigration system after the killing, but said responsibility extends beyond the state, pointing to federal shortcomings, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

"There have been real failures,"Pritzker said. "Those failures, of course, extend beyond the borders of Illinois. There [are] national failures, a failure to have comprehensive immigration reform, a failure of the president to follow his own edict to go after the worst of the worst."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also offered condolences, calling the shooting “senseless violence” and emphasizing it should not deter students from attending college in the city, according to media reports.

"There’s no words that one could express that could properly console a family that lost their baby. And my condolences to the Gorman family,” Johnson said. “You know what the bigger threat to our public safety, it’s illegal weapons that are being trafficked from bordering states that voted for Donald Trump. This president refuses to be held accountable. And he points the finger at everything and everyone else versus doing some real self-reflection on what his responsibility is.”

Gorman's family responded Wednesday, criticizing politicians for reducing her death to a “senseless tragedy” and calling for accountability," according to the New York Post.

“Calling this ‘senseless’ is not enough. There must be a clear and honest accounting of what went wrong,” according to the statement, which has been shared in various media reports. “We will not allow Sheridan’s life to be reduced to a talking point or a generalization. We expect leadership that is willing to confront hard truths and ensure that what happened to her does not happen again.”

The White House called the killing “a preventable tragedy,” noting the suspect entered the U.S. in 2023 and was later released, blaming gaps in border and sanctuary policies.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation into Sheridan Gorman’s death is ongoing.

Medina-Medina was scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Monday but missed the court appearance. Prosecutors said he was unable to appear in court since he'd been hospitalized at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he's being treated for tuberculosis, according to CBS.

He is now expected to appear in court on Friday.