Tragic Death of 18-Year-Old Sparks Outrage
Thomas and Jessica Gorman, known as “Angel Parents,” believe their daughter, 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, fell victim to a “preventable homicide.” They express that this tragedy could have been avoided if the alleged perpetrator, identified as an illegal immigrant, had been handed over to federal authorities.
According to reports, Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by police in Chicago and charged with Sheridan’s murder. The incident occurred on March 19 during an unprovoked attack at the Toby Prinz Beach pier.
Prosecutors indicated that Sheridan was enjoying time with friends when she noticed Medina-Medina lurking. As Sheridan and her friends attempted to escape, he opened fire, resulting in her tragic death. At the time, she was a freshman at Loyola University.
In a conversation with CBS News, the Gormans described their daughter as “an absolutely amazing person.” They firmly believe that if local and state officials had coordinated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), her death wouldn’t have happened.
Jessica Gorman stated, “They say it was a ‘senseless tragedy.’ It wasn’t. It was a murder. A murder that could have been prevented,” expressing her profound grief and anger.
Thomas Gorman emphasized the need for better collaboration among state, local, and federal officials, highlighting the case’s dire implications. He pointed out that if someone commits a crime while in the country illegally, there should be cooperation to hand them over to federal authorities.
Jessica vowed to relentlessly pursue justice for her daughter. “They woke up the bear. The big grizzly mother bear,” she said, conveying her determination to advocate for Sheridan and, by extension, others affected by similar tragedies. “We have to find a way to turn this devastating darkness into light.”
Recently, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee released documents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These documents revealed that under former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, officials assessed that Medina lacked a valid asylum claim. They noted that he did not provide identification, U.S. contact information, or a residence, and made it clear he did not fear deportation to Venezuela.
One of the internal DHS documents mentioned that Medina was unable to offer a verifiable U.S. address and expressed no fear of returning to his home country. Yet, despite the concerns, the Biden administration’s DHS released Medina-Medina in the U.S., labeling him a “potential absconder” but alleging insufficient space to detain him.
Medina-Medina was arrested for Sheridan’s murder shortly after Sheridan had crossed the border illegally. Just a month following his release into the U.S., he faced shoplifting charges in Chicago but was not handed over to ICE due to the city’s sanctuary policy.
