Chicago Alderman Closes Office Amid Safety Concerns

A Chicago alderman has decided to shut down her office for the rest of the week due to safety issues. This decision comes after a wave of criticism regarding her remarks about the murder of a college student, who was described as being “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The victim, Sheridan Gorman, was just 18 years old when she was shot early on March 19 at a pier in Rogers Park, close to Loyola University Chicago, where she was a freshman.

The man accused of her murder, Jose Medina-Medina, 25, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023. Notably, he was released into the U.S. under the current Biden administration, as per the Department of Homeland Security.

In a recent interview with Fox 32 Chicago, Councilwoman Maria Hadden commented that Gorman was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and implied, perhaps unintentionally, that Gorman might have “surprised” the suspect.

On Wednesday, Hadden took to Facebook to announce her office’s closure for safety reasons. “My team and I are taking these precautions to ensure our safety and our ability to maintain the level of service you expect from us. I am still working as usual and will be out on the ward this week,” she stated.

Hadden later expressed regret for her previous comments, explaining that they were meant to draw a comparison to a similar incident from 2018 that received attention in conservative media. “In trying to make sense of a nonsensical situation, I said things that some people found offensive,” she noted, emphasizing that her words were not intended to shift blame onto Gorman.

Following the incident, Gorman’s family shared a statement, indicating that Sheridan’s body had been transported back to their hometown of Yorktown Heights. “The Gorman family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the Yorktown Police Department,” they said, appreciating the care shown during this difficult time.

Medina-Medina was initially set to appear in court on Monday, but the hearing was delayed due to his hospitalization for tuberculosis. A public hearing is now scheduled for Friday morning, according to a Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

This suspect has a prior charge related to shoplifting at Macy’s, where there was an active warrant at the time of Gorman’s murder. Law enforcement described the shooting as an ambush, with the suspect allegedly wearing some type of mask or covering.

After the shooting, video footage captured Medina-Medina waiting for an elevator without a mask. A construction engineer identified him to police, noting his distinctive limp, which led to a quick identification and subsequent arrest.

He had been living at a city-sponsored migrant shelter in Rogers Park, although the facility is set to close in 2024.