Suspect in Loyola student’s killing faces new federal gun charges filed

Federal prosecutors filed new charges Thursday against an illegal immigrant accused of killing a Loyola University student in Chicago because the feds “lacked faith” in the state’s justice system, according to a local criminal defense attorney.

“Blue cities have historically been more lenient in terms of prosecution. We’ve already heard that this person’s capacity is diminished, so we’ll probably see a defense around that,” Donna Rotunno told Fox News Digital. “My guess is the feds wanted to step in so they could have some control over the defendant’s fate.”

Jose Medina-Medina, 25, was arrested for allegedly killing 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman in the early morning hours of March 19. The Department of Homeland Security said Medina-Medina was an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who first entered the United States in 2023, was captured but was released into the country under the Biden administration.

On Thursday, federal prosecutors charged Medina-Medina with unlawful possession of a firearm; this carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. According to a charging document, Medina-Medina, the firearm allegedly used to kill Gorman, was illegally purchased from a Federal Firearms License holder in Montgomery, Alabama, around February 6, 2008.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME SQUAD ON X

“Given the senseless and cold-blooded nature of the murder of a young student with a bright future ahead of him, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take no chances in releasing this illegal alien perpetrator back into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

DHS confirmed that Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan citizen, was also arrested on a theft charge and was released before the alleged murder. (DHS)

SEND US A TIP HERE

In addition to the federal charges, Medina-Medina also faces state charges of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Sheridan Gorman, a New York native, is reportedly just a few months away from completing her freshman year at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. (via Sheridan G. Gorman on Instagram)

At the detention hearing for Medina-Medina, prosecutors revealed that Gorman was with friends at the Rogers Park pier and looked around a lighthouse and saw Medina-Medina there. Gorman then walked towards his friends and said “there’s a man behind the lighthouse”, at which point Medina-Medina began chasing them.

Prosecutors said Gorman was shot in the upper back as a group of his friends fled Medina-Medina. His friends continued running until they found a place to hide, then returned to check on Gorman, who remained unresponsive.

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME AND JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST

Sketch of Jose Medina-Medina in court in Chicago, Friday, March 27, 2026. Medina-Medina, who was in the country illegally, allegedly shot and killed Sheridan Gorman while she was at a dock in the Rogers Park area. (LD Chukman)

Medina-Medina was shot in the head while in Colombia, resulting in the loss of part of his brain and skull and causing him to relearn basic functions, his lawyer said. Medina-Medina’s lawyer said that he had the brain development of a child and could not read or write.

Medina-Medina’s lawyer also said that he had epilepsy and that there were still bullet fragments in his brain. The murder suspect surrendered at the Texas border in 2023 and was detained there before being released. Medina-Medina asked to be deported back to Colombia, where her mother had moved, but was transferred by bus to Chicago, her lawyer said.

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE IN TRUE CRIME CENTER

According to his lawyer’s statement, he contracted tuberculosis during his stay in the Medina-Medina shelter. After being arrested on murder charges, he received treatment for tuberculosis, which caused the delay in his detention hearing.

Members of the Gorman family and friends of the murdered college student decided to order the judge to keep Medina-Medina in custody during the hearing held via Zoom.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

A close-up of Sheridan Gorman, the 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student who was fatally shot near campus. (via Sheridan G. Gorman on Instagram)

“We sat in the courtroom and listened to the man accused of taking Sheridan’s life told through the lens of his history, circumstances and 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 it all: Sheridan had a life, too.”

Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show Medina-Medina told authorities in 2023 that he was living in the Leone Beach Park tract home in Rogers Park and that it was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for immigrants. Medina-Medina was arrested in 2023 and charged with theft after allegedly stealing just over $130 in items from a Macy’s in downtown Chicago. He did not attend hearings on this case, and the arrest warrant remained in effect until the alleged murder.

Fox News’ Philip Bodinet and Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.