Federal prosecutors have introduced additional charges against an undocumented immigrant accused of murdering a Loyola University Chicago student, reflecting their skepticism toward the state’s judicial process, a local defense attorney suggests.
Donna Rotunno, speaking to Fox News Digital, noted, “Prosecutions in progressive cities tend to be less rigorous. There are claims of the accused having diminished capacity, which might be part of his defense strategy. It seems the federal authorities are stepping in to ensure they have a say in the defendant’s fate.”
Jose Medina-Medina, 25, was apprehended following the alleged killing of 18-year-old Loyola student Sheridan Gorman on March 19, during the early hours. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, entered the U.S. in 2023 and was subsequently released into the country under the current administration’s policies.
On Thursday, federal charges were brought against Medina-Medina for unlawful firearm possession, a charge that could lead to a decade-long federal prison sentence. The weapon in question, reportedly used in Gorman’s murder, was purchased illegally on February 6, 2008, from a licensed firearms dealer in Montgomery, Alabama, according to legal documents.
Sheridan Gorman pictured against the backdrop of Chicago’s skyline. (Image via Sheridan G. Gorman on Instagram)
U.S. Attorney Boutros emphasized the severity of the crime, stating, “Considering the brutal and senseless murder of a promising young student, our office is determined to ensure this undocumented immigrant does not return to our community.”
Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, was also arrested for shoplifting and released before the alleged murder, DHS confirmed. (DHS)
In addition to the federal charges, Medina-Medina also faces state-level charges of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and illegal possession of a weapon.
Sheridan Gorman, a New York native, was reportedly only a few months away from completing her freshman year at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
During a detention hearing for Medina-Medina, prosecutors revealed that Gorman was with her friends at a Rogers Park pier when she looked around a lighthouse and saw Medina-Medina there. Gorman then walked back towards her friends and mouthed “there’s a man behind the lighthouse,” at which point Medina-Medina began chasing them.
Prosecutors said Gorman was shot in the upper back while the group of friends ran away from Medina-Medina. Her friends kept running until they found a place to hide, then went back to check on Gorman, who was unresponsive.
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. (L.D. Chukman)
While Medina-Medina was in Colombia, he was shot in the head, which resulted in the loss of a portion of his brain and skull, leaving him to relearn basic functions, his attorney said. Medina-Medina’s attorney said that he has the brain development of a child and cannot read or write.
Medina-Medina’s attorney also said that he suffers from epilepsy and still has bullet fragments lodged in his brain. The murder suspect turned himself in at the Texas border in 2023, where he was held in detention before being released. His attorney said that Medina-Medina requested to be sent back to Colombia, where his mother had moved to, but was transported by bus to Chicago.
During Medina-Medina’s time in a shelter, he contracted tuberculosis, according to his attorney. He was treated for tuberculosis after being arrested on murder charges, which led to a delay in his detention hearing.
Members of the Gorman family along with friends of the slain college student were at the court hearing via Zoom, where a judge held Medina-Medina to be detained pending trial.
Close up of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student who was fatally shot near campus. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
“We sat in a courtroom and listened as the person accused of taking Sheridan’s life was described through the lens of his background, his circumstances, and his struggles,” Gorman’s family said. “We heard a call for compassion. And we understand that instinct. Every life has a story. But we cannot lose sight of the simple, devastating truth at the center of all of this: Sheridan had a life too.”
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show that Medina-Medina told officials he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants. Medina-Medina was arrested in 2023 and charged with shoplifting after he allegedly stole just over $130 in merchandise from a Macy’s in downtown Chicago. He failed to appear for court hearings related to that case, and an arrest warrant remained active until the alleged murder.
