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The father of a 20-year-old woman who was killed by an illegal immigrant in Illinois is warning many innocent people will die if policies are not changed following the death of Sheridan Gorman.
A young man from Loyola University Chicago, Sheridan Gorman, 18, was shot and killed with a group of friends in the Rogers Park area on March 19. Jose Medina-Medina, 25 years old, the suspect in his death, is an illegal immigrant.
During Friday’s court hearing, prosecutors said Gorman found Medina-Medina hiding behind a lamp. When he told his friends about the man behind the lighthouse, Medina-Medina started chasing them, and that’s when prosecutors say he fired a shot, hitting Gorman in the back.
In January 2025, Joe Abraham’s daughter, Katie, died in an accident involving an illegal immigrant in 2025 in Urbana, Illinois. Katie Abraham died when Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal immigrant, crashed her car and drove away from the scene. Cucul-Bol was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
PHOTOS OF THE ILLEGAL KILLING OF A COLLEGE STUDENT IN THE PROGRAMS HAPPENED JUST LIKE ‘IT WAS INTENDED,’ said the Speaker of the House.
Sheridan Gorman smiles next to the skyline of Chicago, Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
Joe Abraham told Fox News Digital that there will be more victims if Illinois does not change its immigration policies.
“I speak because I know that many people will die and many victims. Not all die, but there are innocent victims every day. And that’s why I speak. Because these policies are reckless, too big, too extreme,” he said. “There’s no balance in it. There’s no consideration.”
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Katie Abraham was killed when the car she was traveling in was rear-ended by a drunk driver from another country. (Joe Abraham)
He said the murders of Gorman and his daughter, Katie Abraham, are “very similar” and show how Illinois immigration policy needs to change.
“One was a senseless murder. The other was a careless person who was driving recklessly. But the difference is that both were violent. Both were committed by people who should not have been here. They were committed by people who clearly were not there to improve their lives,” said Joe Abraham. “It was clear that they were committed by people who had serious illnesses, like in Katie’s case. Her killer has HIV and was treated while incarcerated, but Illinois did nothing to help him.”
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Joe Abraham says his daughter was a “beautiful person” with a “sharp intellect.”
“He was a very personable person. His personality was very attractive, he made everyone feel seen, heard, cared for, compassionate, good-natured. He loved the water. He was a water polo player. He was a competitive swimmer. He did that in high school. He had his whole life ahead of him. And look, you know, like a sponge, he was soaked in life, so we only had a lot of 20 shows. Those of us who were, you know, just passed because of reckless policies,” he added.
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Jose Medina-Medina, who is originally from Venezuela, was arrested for shoplifting and released before the alleged murder, DHS confirmed. (DHS)
Similarly, Gorman was described in the obituary as someone who “had a way of making people feel seen, respected and believed in.”
“People often say someone ‘lighted up a room’ or had ‘beauty inside and out,’ but in Sheridan’s case, those phrases are much less common. He exuded something even greater—a rare and mysterious warmth, a spirit that was strong, compassionate, and full of life. He was funny, kind and deeply loving, with a heart that made his obituary say everyone. “He loved so much—his family, his friends, his community and his faith. He brought people together, lifted them up and made ordinary times feel extraordinary by being in them.”
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A general view of Tobey Prinz Beach in Rogers Park, Chicago, IL., Monday, March 23, 2026. Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed at a bar on Thursday, March 19, 2026. (Kamil Krzaczynski of Fox News Digital)
A police source previously told Fox News that the shooting was an ambush, adding that the suspect was reportedly wearing a mask or cover-up.
After the incident, Medina-Medina was seen on a security camera in the lobby waiting for the elevator, and she was not covered with a mask. A civil engineer told police he knew the suspect “who was limping and walking very differently.”
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Flowers are left in memory of Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman at the Tobey Prinz Beach swimming pool in Rogers Park, Chicago, IL., Monday, March 23, 2026. Gorman was shot and killed at the pool on March 19, 2026. (Kamil Krzaczynski of Fox News Digital)
Images of the suspect’s face were posted on the police website, and US Customs and Border Protection information identified the suspect as Medina-Medina.
While Medina-Medina was in Colombia after her mother emigrated from Venezuela, she was shot in the head, resulting in the loss of part of her brain and skull, leaving her to relearn basic skills, her lawyer said. Medina-Medina’s lawyer said that his mind is developing well and he cannot read and write.
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Medina-Medina’s lawyer also said that he suffers from epilepsy and has bullet fragments embedded in his brain. The suspected killer turned himself in at the Texas border in 2023, where he was arrested before being released. His lawyer said Medina-Medina asked to be returned to Colombia, where his mother had moved, but was taken by bus to Chicago.
While Medina-Medina was at the shelter, she contracted tuberculosis, according to her attorney.
