The grieving parents of a New York teenager who was brutally murdered near her university in Chicago last month have condemned the policies that allowed the suspected killer, an undocumented immigrant, to remain in the United States.
“It doesn’t matter where you stand politically, whether you’re on the left, right, or somewhere in between like us. This situation is unacceptable and changes need to be made,” Jessica Gorman, the mother of Sheridan Gorman, expressed during an appearance on “CBS Mornings.”
Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman attending Loyola University, was allegedly shot while she and her friends were on a Chicago pier in the early hours of March 19, hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, along with attempted murder and firearm-related offenses.
In their first television interview since the tragic loss of their daughter, Gorman’s parents criticized both the Biden administration’s policies and Chicago’s sanctuary laws, which they argue facilitated Medina-Medina’s presence in the area.
The suspect reportedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 but was released under the Biden administration’s catch-and-release program. He then traveled to Chicago, where he resided until his alleged involvement in Gorman’s murder.
“There’s definitely policies that contributed to this happening and we can’t save Sheridan but we can’t just not do anything,” Thomas Gorman said in the clip released by the outlet Tuesday, hours before the full interview was set to air Wednesday morning.
President Trump lashed out at his predecessor and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, blaming their leadership for allowing Medina-Medina to be caught twice before being set free.
“The illegal alien monster charged with Sheridan’s brutal murder had come illegally from Venezuela and had been released into our country by Sleepy Joe Biden … pathetic, worst president,“ Trump fumed.
The Biden administration had released Medina-Medina because of a “lack of space” Fox News reported.
Thomas Gorman barked back against the debate over the failed policy, in an attempt to unite both sides following his family’s tragedy.
“We all should be able to agree about the safety of our kids,” he said.
Gorman, a Yorktown Heights, NY, native, was attacked while her friends while they taking photos on the pier.
Gorman’s family has defended her late-night adventure, calling it a typical college student activity.
“She was exactly where she should have been — close to campus, surrounded by friends, living her life,” the grieving family wrote.
Jessica Gorman vowed to get justice, only teasing what she wanted to see done to her daughter’s alleged killer.
“We are gonna get justice for Sheridan,” Jessica Gorman exclusively told The Post in March. “We have a voice and it’s gonna be heard. We are beyond shattered.”
After being freed into the US, Medina-Medina was only arrested once in Chicago, for theft in 2023.
He was released on bond and failed to appear in court with an arrest warrant issued for him but he remained free until he was captured in Gorman’s slaying.
Julie Koehler, the Assistant Public Defender representing Medina-Medina, called Gorman’s death a “tragedy” but claimed the murder suspect has the “development of a child,” and is missing part of his brain after being shot in the head as a kid.
He is currently being held in Cook County Jail without bail.
