commentator chicago As authorities continue to investigate, Assemblywoman Maria Hadden appears to be placing the blame for the shooting of Sheridan Gorman on the victim.
Gorman was shot and killed Thursday near a pier in Chicago’s Rodger Park neighborhood while walking with friends. Jose Medina, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and other charges, police said Sunday.
according to Department of Homeland Security According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan living illegally in the United States, was released twice after having run-ins with the law: once in May 2023 and again the following month when she was detained by local police for shoplifting.
Read more: Sheridan Gorman: Five things you need to know about Jose Medina-Medina’s illegal arrest
Harden says Chicago student shooter may have been ‘inadvertently startled’
Harden, who represents the 49th District, spoke about the incident in an interview with Fox, saying the group involved “were doing normal things that neighbors do” and that the shooting may have been “wrong place, wrong time.”
Harden said in the statement that the group may have “inadvertently alerted” an armed man at the end of the pier.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the shooting was targeted or random. However, investigators believe Medina shot Gorman during the ambush, according to KTSA. Gorman was struck in the head while trying to escape and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Harden further suggested that the incident was not a matter of “wider community concern.”
Gorman’s family is “devastated” by the news. “This is something no family should have to endure.” Her family called Gorman “the heart of our family” in a statement.
Read more: Loyola shooting: Sheridan Gorman case; 5 things police need to know when making an arrest
Homeland Security urges Chicago to put Medina in jail
Medina was detained for shoplifting in Chicago in 2023 after entering the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Court documents show a warrant was issued for Medina’s arrest after she failed to appear in court on a retail theft charge.
Medina-Medina is currently charged with six counts, including first-degree murder in connection with Gorman’s shooting.
The Department of Homeland Security condemned the incident as part of broader flaws in the current border enforcement system. They sent an ICE detainer over Medina’s lack of documentation and urged Illinois officials to keep him in jail.
said KTSA Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We call on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this illegal immigrant from prison back into the American community,” he said.
She expressed further sympathy for Gorman’s death, saying: “Sheridan Gorman had her entire life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life.”
