n a raw and emotional moment outside her family home in Yorktown Heights, New York, the shattered mother of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman has made a solemn vow to fight for justice after her daughter was gunned down in cold blood — allegedly executed by an illegal migrant who should never have been in the country.

Sheridan Gorman, a bright and vibrant first-year student from Westchester County, was walking with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago’s Rogers Park — just steps from Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus — around 1:30 a.m. on March 19, 2026, when a masked gunman emerged from the shadows and opened fire. The 18-year-old was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Her friends escaped unharmed, but the random, execution-style attack has left a grieving family demanding answers and a nation confronting the devastating human cost of unchecked illegal immigration.

On Monday, March 23, Sheridan’s mother, Jessica Gorman, stepped outside her home to speak with reporters, her voice trembling with grief but steeling with determination. “We are gonna get justice for Sheridan,” she declared, her eyes red from days of nonstop tears. “We have a voice and it’s gonna be heard. We are beyond shattered.”

The suspect, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally, has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Federal immigration authorities have confirmed he was released into the country in 2023 under previous policies and was later arrested for shoplifting in Chicago — only to be released again instead of being deported. ICE has now lodged a detainer, urging local authorities not to release him, but the damage is already done: an innocent young woman is dead, and her family is destroyed.

Sheridan had been out with friends hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights, a simple, youthful adventure that turned into a nightmare. She was described by loved ones as generous, fun-loving, and full of life — the kind of daughter who lit up every room she entered. Just days before her death, she had posted joyful photos from her freshman year at Loyola, beaming with excitement about her new chapter in Chicago.

Her family’s statement after the shooting was heartbreaking: “She was exactly where she should have been — close to campus, surrounded by friends, living her life. What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not an abstraction. This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed.”

The killing has thrust the case into the center of the national immigration debate. Federal officials have highlighted that Medina-Medina should never have been on American soil, let alone walking free after a prior arrest. Critics of sanctuary policies in Illinois and Chicago have seized on the tragedy, pointing out that the suspect was able to remain in the country despite previous encounters with law enforcement.

Jessica Gorman has refused to engage directly with questions about the suspect’s immigration status, focusing instead on her daughter’s memory and the demand for justice. “We are shattered,” she repeated, her voice cracking. “But we will fight for Sheridan. She deserved so much more than this.”

Loyola University Chicago has been rocked by the loss. University President Mark C. Reed issued a statement expressing profound sadness and offering support to the grieving community. “This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” he wrote. The campus has held prayer vigils and counseling sessions as students and faculty process the senseless violence so close to home.

The shooting occurred in Rogers Park, a neighborhood that has seen sporadic violence but is generally considered safe for students. Sheridan and her friends were walking along the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach when the masked gunman approached from behind a lighthouse structure, opened fire, and fled. Police acted quickly, arresting Medina-Medina days later and charging him with murder.

As the case moves forward, Jessica Gorman’s vow to fight for justice has resonated deeply with parents across the country. “I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone,” she said, her voice filled with quiet fury. “But we will make sure Sheridan’s voice is heard.”

The tragedy has also sparked renewed calls for stronger border security and stricter enforcement of immigration laws. Many see Sheridan’s death as a preventable loss — the direct result of policies that allowed a criminal illegal alien to remain free in the United States.

For the Gorman family, the pain is raw and unrelenting. Sheridan was their daughter, their sister, their bright future. Now they are left planning a funeral instead of celebrating her freshman year milestones.

A young woman full of promise. A mother shattered beyond words. A community demanding answers.

Jessica Gorman has made her solemn vow: justice for Sheridan will be pursued with everything they have. The family’s voice will be heard.

And as the nation watches this heartbreaking case unfold, one thing is painfully clear — an innocent life was stolen in a city that should have been safe, by a man who should never have been here.