A Venezuelan migrant facing charges in the March slaying of Sheridan Gorman, a student from Loyola University, made a court appearance on Wednesday. During the session, the judge instructed him to provide a DNA sample and approved certain requests concerning his medical care as the trial approaches.
Jose Medina-Medina, an undocumented immigrant aged 25, stands accused of shooting 18-year-old Gorman at a pier in Rogers Park on March 19.
Medina-Medina entered the court with a limp. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged him with unlawful firearm possession, an offense that could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Besides the federal indictment, he is also contending with state charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Jose Medina-Medina, seen on the right, is charged with the murder of Sheridan Gorman. (Images: Sheridan Gorman via Instagram; Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Regarding the murder charge, state authorities requested that Medina-Medina be compelled to provide a DNA sample to state police. Despite objections from the public defender, the judge approved the request.
The public defender also requested a trial and submitted a healthcare order noting a bullet fragment lodged in Medina-Medina’s nasal cavity.
They asked that his medical records be collected from multiple hospitals where he has received treatment, though no specific facilities were identified.
Tom, Jessica and Madelon Gorman arrive at a vigil in Yorktown, New York. (Richard Beetham/Fox News Digital)
The state did not object, and the judge granted the healthcare orders.
Fox News Digital previously reported Medina-Medina was apprehended at the southern border in 2023, flagged as a flight risk, and had no valid asylum claim before being released into the U.S. in 2023 under the Biden administration.
Records indicate he did not have a valid U.S. address or identification and was unable to provide a verifiable point of contact.
Sketch of Jose Medina-Medina in court in Chicago, Friday, March 27, 2026. Medina-Medina, who is in the country illegally, allegedly shot and killed Sheridan Gorman while she was at a pier in the Rogers Park area. (Fox News)
His arraignment is scheduled for April 29.
