Jose Medina Pleads Not Guilty in Murder of First-Year Student

Jose Medina, the 26-year-old man charged with the March 19 murder of first-year student Sheridan Gorman, pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment April 29 held at Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

The parents of Sheridan Gorman, Jessica and Thomas Gorman, were present at the arraignment, facing their daughter’s alleged killer for the first time, according to ABC7 News. 

“Our daughter was beautiful on the inside and out,” Jessica Gorman said. “She really mattered. We are going to get justice for her.”

Sheridan Gorman was fatally shot on the pier at Loyola Beach March 19 at around 1 a.m. while spending time with friends. Medina was allegedly waiting at the end of the pier with a gun, and shot her in the back as she and her friends ran away, The Phoenix reported. Sheridan Gorman was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Medina is facing first-degree murder and weapon charges and additional weapon charges at the federal level, The Phoenix reported. Medina entered his plea through the use of a Spanish translator, according to ABC7.

This was his third court appearance and second time appearing in person. His arraignment was delayed due to his hospitalization for tuberculosis after his March 20 arrest, The Phoenix reported. 

When he was arrested March 20, Medina had an outstanding warrant for his arrest over a shoplifting incident from June 2023 where he failed to appear in court. He was also arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2023 but released, The Phoenix reported.

Friends and family of Sheridan Gorman stood with photos of the 18-year-old in hand as her parents spoke to reporters following the end of the arraignment, according to ABC7. 

Sheridan Gorman’s parents said they plan to continue to advocate for their daughter, calling for accountability and expressing their desire to prevent similar tragedies from impacting other families.

“It’s the beginning of a long process, and our family will be here every single step of the way until there’s full accountability for what was done to our daughter, Sheridan,” Thomas Gorman said to reporters following the end of the arraignment.

Sheridan Gorman’s parents spoke publicly for the first time since her death in a CBS News segment that aired April 22, The Phoenix reported. There, they labeled her death a “preventable murder” and called for accountability from policy makers. They’ve repeatedly said they don’t want their daughter’s death to be politicized. 

Thomas Gorman reiterated his family’s desire to prevent a politicization of Sheridan Gorman’s death following the arraignment April 29.

“We are not interested in slogans,” Thomas Gorman said. “We are not interested in political spin. We are interested in only one thing: to make sure that this does not happen to another family.”

The Trump administration has used Sheridan Gorman’s death as an opportunity to advocate for stronger immigration enforcement. Medina is an immigrant from Venezuela who was living in the United States illegally at the time of his arrest, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

“Make no mistake about it, Sheridan’s death was not just a senseless tragedy,” Thomas Gorman said. “It was preventable.”
Medina is set to appear in court next June 1. He is currently being held in the Cook County Jail, according to NBC5 Chicago.