Judge Orders Detention in Loyola Park Murder, Describing Crime as Horrific

ROGERS PARK—Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman, 18, was killed early March 19 on the Tony Prinz Beach pier near Loyola Park after a man later identified as Jose Medina opened fire on her and her friends. Medina, charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, was ordered detained Friday by Circuit Judge D’Anthony Thedford, who called the crime horrible. Prosecutors say Medina hid behind a lighthouse and fired as the group fled; a 40-caliber handgun linked to the shooting was recovered from Medina’s North Sheridan Road apartment. Public defender Julie Koehler described Medina’s background—born in Venezuela, later living in Colombia, tuberculosis contracted in a migrant shelter, and developmental/medical challenges; she noted Medina takes eight medications. Medina had an active 2023 retail theft warrant; DHS issued an arrest detainer in the case. Gorman, a Loyola business student from New York, was remembered for kindness by classmates; the case has continued to fuel political debate about immigration policy.