Chicago mayor asked about city's immigration policies after illegal immigrant allegedly killed college student

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Brandon Johnson asked about immigration policies after illegal immigrant allegedly kills college student

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about the city's immigration policies when discussing the death of Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant. (Credit: WFLD)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about the city's immigration policies on Tuesday when addressing the death of Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant.

25-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina was arrested Friday after allegedly killing Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University student, on Thursday near Tobey Prinz Beach. Johnson addressed the tragic shooting on Tuesday for the first time, and was asked if he would apologize for the city's immigration policies.

"Will you take this opportunity to apologize to Sheridan's parents for the policies that you have promoted, that have directly caused her death? That suspect would not be in the city, would not be in the country. But for your policies, will you take this opportunity to apologize," a reporter asked.

"Once again, I believe that we're all grieving the loss of Sheridan and other folks who have lost their lives because of senseless violence," Johnson responded. "And let's just be very clear, between the Safe-T Act and the welcoming city ordinance, the welcoming city ordinance was passed 40 years ago by the first black mayor in the history of Chicago, and the Safety Act was passed under the governor at that time, who was a Republican."

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at a rally in Chicago on Oct. 18, 2025.  (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

While Johnson said he hasn't spoken with Gorman's family yet, he plans to do so.

"There's no words that one could express that could properly console a family that lost their baby. And my condolences to the Gorman family," Johnson said. 

He also called out President Donald Trump, who he says "refuses to be held accountable."

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Sheridan Gorman was allegedly killed by Jose Medina on a pier in Chicago. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram, DHS, and Kamil Krzacynski for Fox News Digital)

"He points the finger at everything and everyone else versus doing some real self-reflection on what his responsibility is," Johnson said.

In October, Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker posted a satirical video from the streets of Chicago while he was wearing a bullet-proof vest, trying to make a point about how safe the city is.

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Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

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In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, the Gorman family said they are disappointed with policies that allowed Medina to remain in the country.

"We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime. When systems fail—whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act—the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent," the family wrote.

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Sheridan Gorman was killed after being shot in the head while taking a walk with friends at Tobey Prinz Beach, located less than a mile from the Illinois’ campus, around 1 a.m. on Thursday, according to reports. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)

According to an arrest report obtained by Fox News Digital, Medina was seen on video in his apartment building's lobby waiting for an elevator while he wasn't masked after the alleged shooting. A building engineer told police that he knew the suspect who had a "very distinct limp and gait." 

Following the shooting at 1:06 a.m. on Thursday, according to the arrest report, a male in black clothing, wearing a black mask and walking with a "distinct limp and slow gait" was seen walking from the location of the shooting to Pratt Boulevard at 1:12 a.m. Just a few minutes later, the individual was seen walking northbound through the east alley of Sheridan Road before he entered the back of his apartment complex.

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Sheridan Gorman stands outside Soldier Field ahead of a Chicago Bears game in Chicago. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)

Images of the suspect were sent to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina. He was arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park, according to the arrest report.

Medina told officials in 2023 that he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants. The city-sponsored shelter closed in 2024, according to South Side Weekly.