Gorman household calls for accountability from Mayor Johnson, Gov. Pritzker

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The household of Sheridan Gorman is pushing again on feedback from Chicago and Illinois leaders, saying her killing was not a "mindless tragedy" and demanding accountability for what they name systemic failures.

18-year-old Gorman was killed on March 19 at round 1:06 a.m. whereas she was with pals at a pier on the town's Rogers Park space. Officers say that Jose Medina-Medina, 25, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela , allegedly fired one shot on the Loyola College Chicago scholar, killing her. Medina-Medina was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on Could 9, 2023, and was released into the U.S. underneath the Biden administration, in accordance with the Division of Homeland Safety.

The Gorman household on Wednesday launched an announcement criticizing each Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker , saying that her loss of life "calls for accountability."

"What occurred to Sheridan can't be diminished to a ‘mindless tragedy,’ nor can it's defined basically phrases about public security. Sheridan was our daughter. She was 18 years previous. She was doing one thing completely regular—strolling close to her campus with pals. She ought to be right here," the Gorman household stated relating to current feedback by Johnson.

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Loyola College Chicago scholar Sheridan Gorman poses with the college’s mascot throughout a campus occasion in an undated picture. (Sheridan G. Gorman through Instagram)

"Calling this ‘mindless’ will not be sufficient. There should be a transparent and trustworthy accounting of what went unsuitable," the household added. "We won't enable Sheridan’s life to be diminished to a speaking level or a generalization. We anticipate management that's keen to confront exhausting truths and be certain that what occurred to her doesn't occur once more."

Gorman's household additionally responded to Gov. Pritzker's recent comments on the freshman faculty scholar's loss of life, writing that "calling this a tragedy will not be sufficient."

"Sheridan’s loss of life can't be diminished to a common "tragedy," nor can it's defined away by broad references to failures someplace else. Sheridan was a daughter, a sister, and a younger girl whose life was taken in a manner that ought to by no means have been doable," the household stated. "We're not focused on political arguments or in watching accountability shift from one place to a different. If there have been failures—because the Governor himself has acknowledged—then each one in every of them should be recognized, examined, and addressed straight. The placement of these failures issues lower than the willingness to confront them actually."

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Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan nationwide, was additionally arrested for shoplifting and launched earlier than the alleged homicide, DHS confirmed. (DHS)

"Our daughter will not be a coverage debate. She is a life that was taken, and that calls for accountability," they added.

Pritzker on Tuesday shifted blame to the Trump administration throughout an occasion, in accordance with the Chicago Tribune .

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"This has been a horrible tragedy, and I do know that the Gorman household has suffered mightily… There have been actual failures. These failures, after all, lengthen past the borders of Illinois. That’s their nationwide failures, a failure to have comprehensive immigration reform , a failure of the president to comply with his personal edict to go after the worst of the worst," Pritzker stated.

Johnson on Tuesday additionally addressed Gorman's death , saying that her life was taken because of "mindless violence," however known as out President Trump as nicely.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at a rally in Chicago on Oct. 18, 2025. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Pictures)

"There is no phrases that one may categorical that would correctly console a household that misplaced their child. And my condolences to the Gorman family ," Johnson stated. " what the larger risk to our public security, it is unlawful weapons which are being trafficked from bordering states that voted for Donald Trump . This president refuses to be held accountable. And he factors the finger at all the pieces and everybody else versus performing some actual self-reflection on what his accountability is."

"We all know that this president has not taken this case on this problem in our nation significantly, as a result of my query can be, is not it time for the president of the US of America in Congress to truly act and move complete immigration reform?" Johnson continued.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, middle, speaks in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Pictures)

"There is no phrases that one may categorical that would correctly console a household that misplaced their child. And my condolences to the Gorman family ," Johnson stated.

In an announcement to Fox Information Digital, White Home Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated President Donald Trump's immigration insurance policies have stored People secure.

"In report time, President Trump has completely secured the border, ended Biden’s border disaster, and deported numerous harmful prison unlawful aliens. These are actual options that hold the American folks secure. In the meantime, slobs like Pritzker have always defended harmful prison unlawful aliens and tried to impede the vital work of the Trump Administration. Pritzker’s insurance policies make the American folks much less secure," Jackson stated.

Houses in Yorktown Heights, New York , Gorman's hometown, were lit up in inexperienced on Tuesday evening to honor the slain Chicago faculty scholar. in accordance with CBS News .

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A house shows a inexperienced porch mild in honor of murdered Loyola scholar, Sheridan Gorman, in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Gorman was shot to loss of life in Chicago final week, allegedly by an unlawful migrant. (Fox Information Digital)

An arrest report obtained by obtained by Fox Information Digital reveals that Medina-Medina was seen on safety video in his condominium constructing's foyer ready for an elevator whereas unmasked after the alleged capturing. A constructing engineer instructed police that he knew the suspect, who had a "very distinct limp and gait."

Police stated Medina-Medina was sporting a black masks and black clothes as he walked away from the capturing, noting that he had a "distinct limp and sluggish gait." He was seen strolling from the situation of the capturing to Pratt Boulevard at 1:12 a.m. Only a few minutes later, the person was seen strolling northbound via the east alley of Sheridan Street earlier than he entered the again of his condominium complicated.

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Sheridan Gorman was killed after being shot within the head whereas taking a stroll with pals at Tobey Prinz Seaside, positioned lower than a mile from the Illinois’ campus, round 1 a.m. on Thursday, in accordance with studies. (Sheridan G. Gorman through Instagram)

Pictures of the suspect had been despatched to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection recognized the suspect as Medina-Medina. He was arrested at his condominium in Rogers Park, in accordance with the arrest report.

Medina-Medina instructed officers in 2023 that he was dwelling at Leone Seaside Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was getting used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants. The shelter closed in 2024, in accordance with South Side Weekly .