By The Diary
The Venezuelan immigrant Jose Medina26 years old, accused of the death of Sheridan Gormana student of the Loyola University in Chicago, pleaded not guilty during a court hearing in which he confronted the victim’s parents for the first time.
Medina appeared before the Leighton Criminal Court in khaki uniform cook county jail and walking with the help of a cane. During the hearing he addressed Judge Alfredo Maldonado in Spanish with the support of an interpreter.
Murder charges and multiple crimes
The defendant faces charges of first-degree murder and 18 other crimes related to the death of Sheridan Gorman18 years old, first-year student at Loyola University.
The hearing was attended by the victim’s parents, as well as other relatives and university students.
The fogeys of Loyola University pupil Sheridan Gorman, killed in a Chicago shooting in March, vowed “we can salvage justice for our daughter” after her accused killer pleaded now not guilty. https://t.co/FSMn0NFW0y
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 29, 2026
Details of the case presented by the prosecution
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred in the early morning of March 19 in a rogers park beachnear the university campus, when the student was walking with friends.
Authorities say Medina came out of some bushes and allegedly opened fire on Gorman and his group.
Immigration context and competing versions
The case has generated international attention due to questions about immigration policies in Illinois. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Medina is an undocumented immigrant who was detained by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 9, 2023 and subsequently released within the United States.
“This is NOT a coverage debate. This is a failure.”
Sheridan Gorman’s father and mother talk out after the alleged illegal alien prison charged in her killing pleads now not guilty in Chicago:
“It be an empty seat at the table. It be silence the put there musty to be laughter. It be waking up… pic.twitter.com/ya8JEFHywo
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 29, 2026
However, the public defender of the accused, Julie Koehlermaintained that Medina surrendered to authorities in Texas in 2023, remained detained and requested to be deported to Colombia, a country where he had previously lived, but was transferred to Chicago.
Reaction of the victim’s family
Following the hearing, Sheridam Gorman’s parents spoke publicly for the first time since the incident and demanded justice.
The father, Thomas Gorman, He stated that the process is just beginning and that the family will follow each stage of the case until accountability is achieved.
The mother, Jessica, thanked her for the support and described her daughter as “beautiful inside and out.”
Public debate and family position
The case has been mentioned by critics of the policies of “sanctuary city” in Chicagowhile President Donald Trump and other conservative sectors have blamed these policies for crime.
However, the victim’s father asked that the case not be used in political debates and stated that the family is not looking for slogans or partisan discussions, but rather to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
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