Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is facing calls to resign after an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman was murdered on the Chicago lakefront by an illegal immigrant who had been released twice by police — in the same spot Pritzker had recently bragged was safe in a social media video.
Sheridan Gorman, of Westchester County, New York, was walking with friends along Lake Michigan in Chicago around 1:30 a.m. on March 19, hoping to view the Northern Lights. Police say Jose Medina-Medina, 25, approached the group dressed in black and wearing a face mask and opened fire as the students ran, and struck Gorman, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Medina-Medina was charged Sunday with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and illegal gun possession.
According to DHS, Medina-Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and released into the country under the Biden administration. He was arrested again in June 2023 for shoplifting in Chicago and released a second time thanks to Illinois’ sanctuary policies blocking cooperation with ICE detainers.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder. We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”
SAY HER NAME: Sheridan Gorman
Sheridan, an 18-year-old college student, was reportedly M*RDERED in Chicago by Jose Medina-Medina, an ILLEGAL ALIEN.
Medina was released into the country by the Biden administration in 2023. He was then arrested and released one month later for… pic.twitter.com/CQw1fckBMy
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 23, 2026
The murder drew immediate attention to a video Pritzker posted in September to social media, filmed before sunrise along a different stretch of the same Lake Michigan shoreline.
“One beautiful morning, Chicago!” Pritzker, who has a full-time private security detail, said in the video. “Here on the South Side, early morning. Lots of runners coming by on the lakefront path, Lakefront Trail.”
Take a look —
Governor JB Pritzker posted this video of the Chicago lakeside to brag how safe it is
Sheridan Gorman was just kiIIed there by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant his state law PROTECTED pic.twitter.com/ONqT36R0Tx
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 22, 2026
Pritzker later released a statement through a spokesperson that did not mention Medina-Medina being an illegal immigrant protected by his sanctuary policies, but instead accused Republican President Donald Trump of politicizing the cold-blooded murder.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and Loyola University community grieving the senseless murder of Sheridan Gorman,” the statement read. “Violent crime has no place in our streets, and we expect the alleged perpetrator to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The Trump Administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts.”
Gorman’s family rejected Pritzker’s statement.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” the family said. “When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”
Gorman’s mother, Jessica Gorman, said Chicago’s politicians failed to protect her daughter.
“I really hate saying this, but Chicago, we trusted you with our hearts and you betrayed us,” she said. “We need answers. We need accountability, and we will not stop until the person who did this is found and locked up.”
Trump told reporters Monday the case again proved the need for a strong border and illegal immigration enforcement.
“This person came in through the open door policy of Joe Biden and we have others,” Trump said. “We’re taking them out by the tens of thousands. We’re doing a great job, but it’s a shame.”
Pritzker, who is a rumored 2028 presidential candidate, traveled to Minneapolis in January to lay flowers at a memorial for two people shot during anti-ICE protests. He issued no comparable gesture for Gorman.
Gorman’s death has been compared to the 2024 murder of Laken Riley, a University of Georgia nursing student killed while jogging, also by an illegal immigrant.