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A tragic incident unfolded when a Loyola University student was fatally shot by a masked assailant during a late-night walk with friends, authorities reported.
On March 20, authorities apprehended Jose Medina in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, which took place in a Chicago park. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Medina allegedly approached Gorman, discharged a firearm, and attempted to escape. Sadly, Gorman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 25-year-old suspect, identified by authorities as a Venezuelan national, faces several charges as detailed in a statement sent to Oxygen by the Chicago Police Department. The charges include one count of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon for possessing a firearm without a valid FOID card, and three counts of aggravated assault/discharge of a firearm.
Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University, had been walking with friends near her dormitory on March 19, according to her family in a statement released by ABC 7 and The Chicago Tribune. The family emphasized that Gorman was not engaging in any reckless behavior at the time of the incident.
“There was nothing reckless about her actions,” the family’s statement stressed. “There was nothing unusual about where she was. She left her dorm to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. She was exactly where she should have been—close to campus, surrounded by friends, living her life.”
Gorman’s family said the teen will be honored in her hometown of Yorktown.
“Sheridan deserved a full life,” the statement continued. “She deserved the future that was taken from her. We will not allow her to be remembered as just another story. She was extraordinary, and she will always be loved.”
Following her death, Loyola University President Mark C. Reed addressed the student body.
“It is with profound sadness that I write to share that one of our students, Sheridan Gorman, was killed earlier today in an incident north of the Lake Shore Campus,” wrote Reed. “This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her.
Medina’s first court hearing is scheduled for March 23. Oxygen could not immediately reach an attorney for Medina.