The family of Sheridan Gorman has pushed back against comments from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, calling for accountability after the 18-year-old’s death in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
Gorman was shot around 1:06 a.m. on March 19 while walking with friends near a pier. Authorities allege 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, fired the shot that killed her. Medina-Medina was captured by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9 and was released into the United States under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The Gorman family issued a statement Wednesday criticizing both leaders for framing her death as a “senseless tragedy.” They emphasized that Sheridan was simply out with friends and should be alive today. “We will not allow Sheridan’s life to be reduced to a talking point or a generalization,” the family said, calling for a transparent investigation into what went wrong.
The family also responded to Pritzker’s recent remarks, stating that calling her death a tragedy is insufficient. They emphasized that her life was unique and should not be dismissed with broad explanations about systemic failures. “Sheridan was a daughter, a sister, and a young woman whose life was taken in a way that should never have been possible,” they said.
Pritzker, during a Tuesday event, attributed some of the failures to national immigration policies, criticizing the Trump administration for border issues. Chicago Mayor Johnson also addressed Gorman’s death, condemning “senseless violence” and criticizing President Trump’s immigration policies. Johnson also pointed to illegal weapons trafficking from border states voting for Trump as a larger threat to public safety.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, claiming they enhanced border security and reduced crime. Meanwhile, residents in Gorman’s hometown of Yorktown Heights, New York, lit their homes in green Tuesday night to honor her memory.
An arrest report indicates Medina-Medina was seen on security footage in his apartment building’s lobby shortly after the shooting. He was identified by police as having a distinct limp and gait. Medina-Medina was later arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park. He reportedly was living at a city-sponsored shelter for migrants at the time, which closed in 2024, according to South Side Weekly.
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Johnson and Pritzker for comment.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
