Illegal Immigrant Accused of Murdering Chicago Student Has Severe Disabilities

Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina allegedly shot and killed 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 2:04pm

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The illegal immigrant accused of murdering 18-year-old college freshman Sheridan Gorman in Chicago is illiterate and lacking parts of his brain and skull, his attorney claims. Authorities charged Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot Gorman on March 19 while she was at a Chicago park with friends. Medina-Medina's attorney says he is developmentally disabled and unable to read or write after surviving a bullet to the head years before entering the U.S.

Why it matters

This case highlights the complex issues surrounding immigration, public safety, and the treatment of individuals with severe disabilities. It raises questions about the vetting process for immigrants, the handling of those with mental health and developmental challenges, and the broader debate over the Biden administration's immigration policies.

The details

Prosecutors say they have video evidence showing Medina-Medina, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark clothes, hiding behind a lighthouse on Lake Michigan and shooting Gorman in the back, killing her almost instantly. Medina-Medina's attorney claims his client was robbed, beaten, and shot in the head in 2018 in South America, leaving him with bullet fragments in his brain and a portion of his skull missing. The attorney says Medina-Medina is now developmentally delayed, has the education of a seven-year-old, and cannot read or write.

  • Medina-Medina was shot in the head in 2018 in South America.
  • Medina-Medina turned himself in to authorities at the Texas-Mexico border in 2023 and requested to be sent to Colombia.
  • Medina-Medina was apprehended by Border Patrol in June 2023 and released in Chicago a month later.
  • Gorman was allegedly murdered by Medina-Medina on March 19, 2026.

The players

Jose Medina-Medina

A 26-year-old Venezuelan national accused of murdering 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman. Medina-Medina is illiterate, developmentally disabled, and missing parts of his brain and skull after being shot in the head in 2018 in South America.

Sheridan Gorman

An 18-year-old college freshman at Loyola University Chicago who was allegedly murdered by Jose Medina-Medina while she was at a Chicago park with friends.

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What they’re saying

“So we imported an illiterate, developmentally disabled, diseased gang banger from the third world and allowed him to stay after he committed crimes?”

— Gerry Callahan, Newsmax podcast host

What’s next

Medina-Medina's pretrial detention hearing was postponed after he was hospitalized for tuberculosis he caught while in a migrant shelter. He is still receiving treatment as of the latest reports.

The takeaway

This tragic case highlights the complex challenges surrounding immigration, public safety, and the treatment of individuals with severe disabilities. It raises difficult questions about vetting processes, mental health support, and the broader impacts of immigration policies, which will likely continue to be debated in the wake of this devastating incident.