Sheridan’s Buddy Bench heads to Congress

Updated on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026 at 4:12 p.m. to include additional photos.

A Buddy Bench handcrafted in honor of Yorktown’s Sheridan Gorman was unveiled this month at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.

The unveiling fulfilled a promise Sheridan’s mother, Jessica Gorman, made during her June testimony before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. Gorman told lawmakers about the Buddy Bench outside Mohansic Elementary School, where students could sit if they were feeling lonely, sad or in need of a friend.

During her congressional testimony, Gorman pledged to purchase a Buddy Bench for Congress. The completed bench will serve as a memorial to Sheridan and a reminder of the original bench’s message of community. It was created for members of Congress to sit together.

Gorman, a Loyola University Chicago student, was with a group of friends when 26-year-old Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national whom the Department of Homeland Security has said was in the country illegally, approached on foot, pulled out a gun and shot and killed Sheridan on March 19.

“A couple of months ago, Jess testified before Congress about how illegal immigration and sanctuary policies led to the loss of their daughter. Democratic members of the committee showed little interest in her testimony, and she vowed to purchase a Buddy Bench for Congress,” NY-17 Rep. Mike Lawler, who introduced Gorman at the June hearing and had the family onstage at the RNC, wrote on social media. “To be the first member of Congress to sit on this sacred bench is not only an honor but also a responsibility, to fight for Sheridan and every angel family.”

The trip to Dallas was mentally and physically grueling for the Gorman family, Jessica said in an email to Yorktown News, as the family continues to grieve Sheridan’s death while advocating in her memory.

The Gormans have also launched a website for the Sheridan Gorman Foundation, featuring Sheridan’s story and information about the Buddy Bench and its creation.

Jessica provided Yorktown News with a photo of the bench, which she said is “even more beautiful in person.” More photos, information about the bench’s maker, Sheridan’s story, scholarship information and details about the foundation are available at sheridansbench.org.