Venezuelan José Medina, accused of the murder of a college student in Chicago, pleaded not guilty during his preliminary hearing held this April 29, 2026 in a Cook County court.
The case, which has generated national attention in the United States, involves the death of Sheridam Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola University, which occurred last March.
Key hearing in the case
Venezuelan illegal Jose Medina-Medina was apprehended by CBP on 5/9/2023 under Joe Biden and released into the U.S.
On 6/19/2023, he was released back into Chicago after a shoplifting arrest.
On 3/22/2026, he was charged with first degree murder in the shooting of Sheridan… https://t.co/oRrgqL0096 pic.twitter.com/pbkzVCZQOJ
– Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) March 23, 2026
Medina, 26, faces first-degree murder charges along with 18 other Buzzy-related offenses.
During the hearing, the defendant addressed the judge with the help of a Spanish interpreter.
The trial took place at the Leighton Criminal Court, where Medina appeared dressed in a khaki prison uniform. According to reports, the defendant walked with difficulty, leaning on a cane.
The hearing was attended by the victim’s parents, as well as family, friends and students of the university.
How the crime occurred
The parents of Sheridan Gorman faced their daughter’s accused killer as he pled not guilty on Wednesday. https://t.co/l0bgZRuM2B
– ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) April 30, 2026
According to the prosecution, the events occurred in the early morning hours of March 19, 2026, on a beach in the Rogers Park area near the university campus.
Authorities say Medina allegedly came out of some bushes where he was hiding and opened fire on the young woman and the group of friends he was with.
The attack resulted in Gorman’s death, which provoked a strong public and media reaction.
José Medina pleads not guilty
18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman was allegedly shot and killed last Thursday morning in the sanctuary city of Chicago by a criminal alien who should have never been here.
Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina was apprehended by Border Patrol in May of 2023… pic.twitter.com/HR2wxN7KYS
– U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) March 23, 2026
The case has been used in the political debate in the United States, especially around the so-called “sanctuary city” policies, such as that of Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Medina was apprehended at the border in May 2023 and subsequently released into the country.
However, the defendant’s defense maintains a different version.
According to his lawyer, Medina turned himself in to authorities in Texas, remained in detention and requested to be deported to Colombia, where he previously resided, but was instead transferred to Chicago.
Reaction from Sheridan Gorman’s Family
The parents of Sheridan Gorman faced their daughter’s accused killer as he pled not guilty on Wednesday. https://t.co/cZluznyxxj
– ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) April 29, 2026
Following the hearing, Sheridam Gorman’s parents spoke publicly for the first time since the crime.
The young woman’s father, Thomas Gorman, noted that this is only the beginning of a long process in search of justice.
“We will be there every step of the way until there is full accountability,” he said.
For her part, the mother, Jessica Gorman, thanked the support received at the national level and remembered her daughter as a young woman “beautiful inside and out”.
Avoid politicizing the case
Illegal from Venezuela has been charged with the murder of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago.
25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina allegedly shot Gorman, a Yorktown High School graduate and freshman at Loyola University Chicago, on Thursday while she was walking with friends near… pic.twitter.com/itX0tpJUE3
– Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) March 23, 2026
Although political figures, including President Donald Trump, have linked the case to immigration policies, the victim’s family has called for the tragedy to be prevented from being used for partisan purposes.
“We are not interested in slogans or political manipulations,” expressed the young woman’s father.
“We just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family.”
The case is still in court and could continue for several months while evidence and testimony is presented.
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