Chicago Alderman Maria Hadden Apologizes for ‘Wrong Place at the Wrong Time’ Comment on Slain Loyola Student
Eighteen-year-old Loyola freshman Sheridan Gorman was fatally shot near campus early Thursday; police arrested 25-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina—identified in part by a distinct limp—and charged him with first-degree murder and multiple firearm-related counts, and he is currently hospitalized and quarantined amid tuberculosis concerns. Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden apologized after drawing backlash for saying Gorman was in the “wrong place at the wrong time,” comments the victim’s family rejected as victim-blaming, while the case has also prompted federal and local scrutiny over immigration enforcement and calls by DHS and ICE for authorities to hold the suspect.
📌 Key Facts
- Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola University Chicago from Westchester County, New York, was fatally shot while trying to flee with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach Park around 1:12–1:15 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Chicago police arrested 25-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina (Medina‑Medina) at his Rogers Park apartment after investigators matched building surveillance images — including an unmasked lobby video and a masked shooter’s distinct limp and gait — and CBP/Border Patrol positively identified him.
- Medina has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon; prosecutors say he missed a court appearance because he is hospitalized and being quarantined for a potentially contagious condition reported as tuberculosis.
- Authorities say they recovered a firearm believed linked to the killing and are awaiting gunshot-residue test results.
- DHS and ICE say Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, released into the U.S., and was later arrested for shoplifting in Chicago in June 2023; ICE has lodged an immigration detainer and DHS publicly urged Illinois and Chicago officials not to release him, while state TRUST Act limits on honoring detainers and questions about compliance with the federal Laken Riley Act have been highlighted.
- Gorman’s family called her death a "murder," released a statement and obituary describing her as someone who "made people feel seen, safe, and loved," blamed "policies and failures" in the immigration system for allowing the suspect to remain in the U.S., and demanded full prosecution.
- Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden drew backlash after saying the killing may have been a "wrong place at the wrong time" encounter and suggesting Gorman may have "startled" the shooter; Hadden later issued a written apology saying she did not intend to blame the victim and criticized media coverage, while Gorman’s family rejected the "wrong place" framing.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly offered condolences and said he plans to speak with the family but declined to apologize for city immigration policies; the case prompted political backlash and partisan criticism of local and state officials' responses.
📊 Relevant Data
Chicago's metropolitan area population grew by 70,762 residents in 2024, primarily due to over 96,000 new international migrants, contributing to a net gain despite domestic out-migration.
Chicago area gets over 96K international migrants in 2024 — Illinois Policy Institute
In Chicago, Black residents face a homicide victimization rate of approximately 59 per 100,000, compared to 17 per 100,000 for Hispanic residents and 3.7 per 100,000 for White residents, based on 2023 data where Black individuals comprised 74% of victims despite being 29% of the population.
Black, Hispanic Chicagoans made up 95% of homicide victims — Illinois Policy Institute
The U.S. granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelans in March 2021, extending it multiple times through 2025, allowing eligible individuals to remain and work in the U.S., with over 700,000 Venezuelans benefiting or applying.
Explainer: Venezuelan Migration Policy in the Americas — Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Key drivers of Venezuelan migration to the U.S. include ongoing political repression, economic instability, corruption, and lack of basic services, leading to over 8 million fleeing since 2014, with migration continuing despite inflation dropping to 1.2% in early 2024.
7 facts about Venezuelans in the US — Pew Research Center
Studies from 2014-2020 indicate that sanctuary policies in U.S. counties, including limits on cooperating with ICE detainers, are associated with 35.5 fewer crimes per 10,000 people compared to non-sanctuary counties, with no evidence of increased crime rates.
The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy — Center for American Progress
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 25, 2026
7:26 AM
Chicago alderwoman apologizes for 'wrong place at the wrong time' comment on slain student
New information:
- Alderwoman Maria Hadden, a progressive ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson, drew backlash after telling Fox 32 that Sheridan Gorman was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' and may have 'startled' the shooter.
- Hadden issued a written apology Tuesday, saying her comments were an attempt to make sense of a 'senseless situation,' insisting she did not intend to blame the victim, and acknowledging her words 'landed wrong with some people.'
- Gorman’s family publicly rejected the 'wrong place at the wrong time' framing in a statement, saying Sheridan 'deserved the future that was stolen from her' and warning against becoming desensitized to violence.
- Hadden accused some media outlets of 'intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue' her remarks and noted her Fox 32 interview had gone viral on conservative media.
March 24, 2026
7:37 PM
Chicago mayor asked about city's immigration policies after illegal immigrant allegedly killed college student
New information:
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly addressed Sheridan Gorman’s killing for the first time and was directly asked whether he would apologize to Gorman’s parents for city immigration policies that critics say 'directly caused her death.'
- Johnson declined to apologize, instead emphasizing that Chicago’s 'welcoming city' ordinance dates back about 40 years and that both the ordinance and the state Safe-T Act were enacted under earlier leadership, including a Republican governor.
- Johnson said he has not yet spoken with the Gorman family but intends to do so and offered public condolences.
- Johnson criticized President Donald Trump, saying Trump 'refuses to be held accountable' and 'points the finger at everything and everyone else' instead of examining his own responsibility.
- The article reiterates DHS information that suspect Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national, was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 and released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, and notes the Gorman family’s statement blaming policy failures that allowed him to remain in position to commit the crime.
5:33 PM
Suspect in murder of Loyola student misses court date due to tuberculosis as new details emerge
New information:
- Prosecutors say Jose Medina missed his first court appearance on Monday because he is hospitalized and undergoing treatment for tuberculosis.
- CBS reiterates that Medina faces multiple charges in the fatal shooting, including first-degree murder.
- DHS characterization in this piece is that Medina is a Venezuelan man living in the U.S. illegally.
10:00 AM
Chicago police detail how illegal immigrant accused of killing college student was caught: arrest report
New information:
- Arrest report says Jose Medina was captured unmasked on lobby video in his apartment building shortly after the shooting, waiting for an elevator.
- A building engineer told police he recognized Medina from the video because of his very distinct limp and gait, which matched the masked gunman seen leaving the scene.
- Timeline details: the shooter in black clothing and a black mask with a distinct limp was seen leaving the scene at 1:12 a.m., walking toward Pratt Boulevard and then through an alley to the rear of his apartment complex.
- Images from the building were run through a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection positively identified the suspect as Jose Medina, leading to his arrest at his Rogers Park apartment.
- Fox includes fuller biographical and obituary details about victim Sheridan Gorman, emphasizing her activities, personality and community role.
March 23, 2026
7:40 PM
Pritzker breaks silence on migrant charged in student’s murder, blames Trump for ‘politicizing’ case
New information:
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office issued its first public statement on Sheridan Gorman’s killing, calling it a 'senseless murder' and accusing the Trump administration of 'politicizing heinous tragedies.'
- Pritzker’s office declined to answer whether he will direct Illinois authorities to comply with the Laken Riley Act requirement to hold undocumented suspects like Medina-Medina for federal pickup.
- The article foregrounds Illinois’s TRUST Act limits on honoring ICE detainers without a federal criminal warrant and highlights that this state framework remains in place despite the new federal Laken Riley Act.
- The piece notes GOP criticism that Pritzker responded quickly to separate federal-agent-involved killings in Minneapolis but stayed silent for days on Gorman’s case.
- It confirms that Medina-Medina’s Monday detention hearing was continued because he is being quarantined amid concerns he may have tuberculosis.
7:23 PM
Critic slams Chicago's 'revolving door' as Loyola student killing sparks outrage
New information:
- DHS confirmation, as cited here, that Medina-Medina entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration and was then apprehended and released into the country.
- DHS-confirmed prior Chicago arrest of Medina-Medina for shoplifting, plus William J. Kelly’s claim—presented as his allegation, not proven fact—that Medina had been arrested multiple times for what he calls 'deportable offenses.'
- On-the-record reaction from Gorman’s family explicitly blaming 'policies and failures' and rejecting the idea of 'second chances that put others at risk,' calling the killing a 'violent and preventable act.'
- Detailed criticism from veteran Chicago reporter William J. Kelly of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s alleged 'catch-and-release' approach to migrant crime and claims that CPD is being told 'not to touch the illegals, not to detain them, not to turn them over to ICE.'
4:37 PM
Illegal immigrant charged in college student’s murder hauled into court in latest arrest
New information:
- Confirms the suspect, 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina, has been formally charged by Chicago police with first‑degree murder, first‑degree attempted murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
- Specifies that the victim, 18‑year‑old Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman from Westchester County, New York, was allegedly shot while trying to flee with friends around 1 a.m. Thursday near Tobey Prinz Beach Park and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Details the suspect’s prior U.S. encounters: apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023 and released under the Biden administration, then arrested for shoplifting in Chicago and released on June 19, 2023.
- Reports that ICE has now lodged an immigration detainer against Medina following the alleged murder.
- Includes a new, pointed statement from DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis publicly urging Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago’s ‘sanctuary politicians’ not to release Medina from jail back into American neighborhoods.
- Carries a lengthy statement from Sheridan Gorman’s family blaming ‘policies and failures’ in the immigration system for allowing the suspect to remain in a position to commit the crime and demanding full prosecution under both state and federal law.
- Quotes local Alderwoman Maria Hadden framing the killing as a possible ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ encounter with an armed individual while students were ‘doing normal things’ in the neighborhood.
March 22, 2026
10:38 PM
Illegal immigrant accused of killing Loyola student released under Biden, DHS says
New information:
- DHS identifies the suspect as 25‑year‑old Venezuelan national Jose Medina‑Medina and confirms he was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, then released into the country during the Biden administration.
- DHS confirms Medina‑Medina was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023, and released again prior to the alleged murder.
- ICE says it has lodged an immigration detainer on Medina‑Medina and publicly calls on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago sanctuary‑city officials not to release him from local custody.
- Chicago police sources say Medina‑Medina is being quarantined for a potentially contagious condition, possibly tuberculosis, and describe the shooting as an apparent ambush by a masked gunman.
- Investigators have recovered a firearm believed connected to the killing and are awaiting gunshot‑residue test results.
1:58 AM
Venezuelan migrant arrested after Loyola Chicago student fatally shot near campus
New information:
- Chicago police have arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with Sheridan Gorman’s death, according to an arrest report obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
- Sources cited by Fox News say the suspect is a migrant from Venezuela.
- Records indicate the suspect was identified within minutes of the shooting because of a 'distinct limp.'
- Loyola University Chicago President Mark C. Reed sent a letter to students confirming Gorman’s death and calling it a tragic loss.
March 20, 2026
1:56 PM
Slain Loyola Chicago student's family fumes over 'murder,' manhunt for masked gunman in attack near campus
New information:
- Family issued a statement to NBC Chicago explicitly calling Sheridan Gorman’s killing 'murder' and describing her as someone who 'made people feel seen, safe, and loved.'
- Fox cites Chicago police as believing Gorman was not the intended target of the shooting.
- Article reiterates that the shooter was masked and that a suspect description has not yet been released, with no arrests made.
- Loyola’s campus alert specified the shooting occurred on the Tobey Prinz Beach pier around 1:15 a.m. and noted police are probing possible ties to other recent violent incidents nearby.