Chicago PD makes arrest in murder of Yorktown graduate

This article was updated March 23 at 5:58 p.m. to include additional information.

The Chicago Police Department have arrested a man in connection with the deadly shooting of 18-year-old Yorktown High School graduate Sheridan Gorman.

Police offered no information about a possible motive for the shooting, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, less than a mile from campus. Witnesses told police that a man dressed in black and wearing a black mask pointed a gun at Gorman and fired one shot as she tried to run away. Reports indicated that Gorman was not believed to have been the intended target.

As Gorman’s family and friends grieve the tragic and senseless killing, her death has become part of the national immigration debate Sunday after the Trump administration said the suspect arrested in the case is from Venezuela and in the United States illegally.

“She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians," Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement  that called for the man to remain in jail.

The man, Jose Medina, 25, was charged with multiple felonies, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, Chicago police said on Sunday. Medina was expected to appear Monday, March 23, at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse in Chicago for a detention hearing, but according to NBC News, he was hospitalized and treated for tuberculosis. A detention hearing will be held once Medina is present.

NBC also reported that prosecutors said in court that security video from the neighborhood tracked Medina to his home, where officers found a handgun matching the one used to kill Gorman. He was identified by a building engineer and his mother.

“We thank law enforcement officials for their good work in apprehending a suspect. The immediate focus needs to be justice for Sheridan and the Gorman Family but we cannot lose sight of the fact that this is the second time a member of our community has been victimized by this type of violence," Assemblyman Matt Slater, whose district includes Yorktown, said in a statement Sunday. "Our immigration system is clearly broken and endangering innocent American citizens. No one should be a victim of a system that fails on multiple levels.”

In an obituary posted online, the family also acknowledged police for "all of their efforts to date in finding justice for Sheridan."

They also extended deep gratitude to "Loyola University Chicago as well as their treasured hometown of Yorktown, for surrounding them with unwavering love, support, and compassion during this unimaginable time."

Sheridan is survived by her loving parents, Jessica (Simonds) and Thomas Gorman of Yorktown Heights; her dear sister, Madelon Gorman; and her grandparents, Thomas and Columbia Gorman of Brant Lake, New York, Paula Cannata of Stoughton, Massachusetts, and Saul and Nava Ben-Meyer of Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is also survived by her devoted uncle and aunt, Marc and Nacole (Simonds) Zeevalk; her beloved cousin, Lilla Zeevalk; her “guncles,” Keith and Max Sorett-Gorman; her close friends, Kaitlyn Sheehy and Annie Durante; and many other relatives and friends who loved her deeply.

Dan Scavino, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff and a Yorktown native, said in a post on social media Sunday that Gorman’s death was “heartbreaking and devastating” and called it “beyond infuriating and upsetting.”

He said his “heart goes out to my former teammate, Tom, along with his entire family and the entire Yorktown community.”

News of Gorman's killing sent shockwaves through the Yorktown community, where she is being remembered for her warmth, faith, thoughtfulness and the kindness she showed others.

“It is with an absolutely broken heart that I share the loss of beloved YHS graduate, Sheridan Gorman,” Superintendent of Yorktown Schools Ron Hattar wrote in a letter to the district community on March 19. “We are so deeply shattered by this tragic and senseless loss.  Our hearts are with Sheridan’s family, friends, and all who knew and loved her.”

Gorman was a member of the girls varsity bowling team, served as manager for the field hockey and lacrosse teams, and participated in the school’s Big Buddy program, a peer mentoring initiative.

"Sheridan was a proud Yorktown girl through and through, and she carried that pride everywhere she went," her obituary said.

She coached for many years with the Yorktown Athletic Club. 

'The light of our lives'

“Anyone who knows this family—and anyone who knew Sheridan—will say one thing: she was pure light,” organizers wrote. “She loved Jesus, her family, her sister Maddie most of all, her lifelong friends, and the simple, beautiful moments that made up her life. She had a way of making everyone feel special, seen, and loved. To know her was to be changed by her.”

In a statement shared with NBC Chicago on March 19, the Gorman family described Sheridan as a cherished child, sister and friend who radiated compassion and faith.

“Our beloved daughter, Sheridan, was taken from us this morning in Chicago. There is no way to soften this—this was murder," the family said. “Sheridan was the light of our lives. She made people feel seen, safe, and loved simply by being who she was.”

“She lived her faith with kindness, compassion, and joy, and she loved her family and friends deeply,” the statement continued,” the statement continued. ”Sheridan was our light. And she always will be.

"We trusted that she would be safe. That trust was broken. Someone made a deliberate choice that stole our daughter and forever changed our family.”

The family is urging anyone with information to come forward as authorities in Chicago continue their investigation.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the various communities connected to our family. It has carried us through moments we could not endure alone,” the family said. "We take comfort in our faith, but nothing can lessen the devastation of this loss.”

In Chicago, the investigation into her death continues, and authorities have indicated more updates may follow. 

At Loyola Chicago—where Gorman was involved in the campus Christian ministry group—her life and memory were honored with a vigil on March 19. The student newspaper, The Loyola Phoenix, described a grief that could not be contained to a single moment or sentence—one that is widespread and deeply felt across the community.

Loyola University Chicago President Mark C. Reed called Gorman's murder "a tragic loss."

"She loved her hometown of Yorktown with a fierce loyalty—cheering loudly for her school, her teams, and her community," her obituary said. "And she loved Loyola University Chicago, where she had begun building the next chapter of her life, embracing it with the same excitement, warmth, and spirit that defined everything she did."

The Town of Yorktown's official Facebook page said called Gorman a "ray of sunshine" and said  "this darkness cannot diminish her light."

Funds raised through the GoFundMe, searchable as “Sheridan Gorman Memorial & Scholarship Fund” will support memorial activities and the creation of a scholarship in her honor.

“More than anything, we ask that you keep this incredible family in your prayers,” the GoFundMe said. “Help us carry Shera’s light forward.”