The Gorman family spoke at a New York rally hosted by former President Donald Trump, urging lawmakers to reject sanctuary policies after their daughter, Sheridan, was shot and killed on March 19. Authorities arrested 25-year-old Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. The Department of Homeland Security said Medina had been released from custody twice despite an active ICE detainer. The family criticized local officials' responses and called for bipartisan action to strengthen enforcement and accountability.
Gorman Family Calls for Bipartisan Immigration Action After Sheridan's Killing
Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student, was shot and killed on March 19. She was walking along a lakefront pier at Tobey Prinz Beach with a group of friends when they encountered a masked man hiding behind a lighthouse structure.(AP Images)
The parents of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman who was fatally shot on March 19, urged bipartisan action on immigration policy Friday at a campaign event hosted by former President Donald Trump in Suffern, New York. The family said sanctuary and release policies failed to keep dangerous individuals out of the community and cost them their daughter.
Family's Plea at the Rally
Trump introduced the Gorman family at Rockland Community College, where Sheridan's mother, Jessica Gorman, said her daughter's life was "stolen" by a man she believes should never have been in the United States.
"At every step the system had a chance to stop him. At every step, it failed. And my daughter paid for those failures with her life," Jessica Gorman said. "No mother should ever have to wonder if her child called out for her in her final moments...no family should ever have to bury a child because public officials failed to put innocent American lives first."
What Authorities Say
Sheridan was shot while walking with friends along a lakefront pier at Tobey Prinz Beach. Authorities arrested 25-year-old Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan, the next day; he has been charged with first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Medina had been released from custody on multiple occasions despite an active Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. DHS said he was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in 2023 and later released, and that a separate shoplifting arrest in 2023 also resulted in his release.
Calls for Accountability
Sheridan's father, Tom Gorman, criticized leaders and policies he says contributed to the tragedy. "This is what failed policies have done to our family," he said, calling for clearer enforcement and accountability so other families do not suffer the same fate.
The Gormans also publicly criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson after he unveiled a snowplow bearing the slogan "Abolish ICE" days after Sheridan's death — an act the family said was insensitive while they were still waiting to claim their daughter's body.
Family Reaction and Broader Debate
At the rally, Tom Gorman thanked Trump and urged lawmakers across party lines to prioritize public safety. "Protecting our people is not politics. It is the first responsibility of government," he said. The family also said the event offered them a rare moment of comfort; Sheridan's sister, Madelon, told Trump the family had laughed and smiled more in that hour than since March 19.
The case has amplified national debate over immigration enforcement, detainer policies and local sanctuary practices, and it has drawn reactions from politicians across the spectrum.
Help us improve.
