Sheridan Gorman shooting: Loyola student murder suspect faces new charge in Chicago
Sheridan Gorman shooting: Loyola student murder suspect faces new charge in Chicago
A Venezuelan man accused of fatally shooting a Loyola University student in Rogers Park last month is now facing a new federal gun charge tied to the case.
CHICAGO - A Venezuelan man accused of fatally shooting a Loyola University student in Rogers Park last month is now facing a new federal gun charge tied to the case.
What we know:
Jose Medina-Medina, 25, is charged in Cook County with the murder of 18-year-old freshman Sheridan Gorman near Tobey Prinz Beach.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors announced Medina-Medina has also been charged with illegal possession of a firearm after investigators say he had a handgun the day after the killing.
(From left) Pictured is Jose Medina and Sheridan Gorman. (FOX Chicago)
According to a criminal complaint, Chicago police discovered the weapon on March 20 during a court-authorized search of his Rogers Park residence. The search was part of the murder investigation.
Medina-Medina, who also goes by several aliases, is a citizen of Venezuela and does not have legal status in the United States, which authorities say makes it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
The backstory:
On March 19, Gorman and three friends were near the lakefront and walked onto a pier with a lighthouse at the end.
Prosecutors say Medina-Medina was already behind the lighthouse when Gorman approached and spotted him.
As the group ran back toward the beach, Medina-Medina emerged wearing dark clothing and a mask and fired a shot, striking Gorman in the upper back.
Flowers lie on the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago on March 23, 2026, near where Sheridan Gorman was fatally shot on the pier. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Her friends ran, hid and called police. Gorman was later found unresponsive near the lighthouse and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Investigators said witness accounts, surveillance video and forensic evidence helped identify Medina-Medina, who was later arrested at an apartment building on North Sheridan Road.
He is charged in state court with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
What they're saying:
Gorman's family issued a statement on Friday regarding the new charge against Medina-Medina:
"Sheridan was a real person—she had a future, a family, and a life full of promise," her parents said in a joint statement. "We are grateful to see continued coordination among law enforcement, and we hope that every step taken brings us closer to answers, accountability, and a sense that this did not happen in vain."
"As we move forward, our focus remains on Sheridan—who she was, what she meant to us, and what was taken from her," the statement continued. "If there is any purpose to be found in this loss, it is that no other family should have to endure what we are living through now."
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said the federal charge ensures Medina-Medina remains in custody as the case moves forward.
"Given the senseless, cold-blooded nature of the murder of a young student with a bright future ahead of her, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take no chances that this illegal alien perpetrator will be released back into our community," Boutros said in a statement.
He also credited Chicago police and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for quickly identifying and charging the suspect.
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What's next:
The federal case is being handled in coordination with the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago.
Medina-Medina faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted on the gun charge. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled, and he remains detained in state custody without bond.
The Source: Details for this report were provided in a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois and previous FOX Chicago reporting.