An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Medina, facing charges for the March murder of Sheridan Gorman, a student at Loyola University, was found with a weapon while in custody. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office reported that a homemade shank was discovered in Medina’s possession on Thursday morning at Cook County Jail.
The 26-year-old, who had a sharpened piece of metal concealed in his pants pocket with a handle fashioned from medical tape, was subjected to a search by correctional officers. As a result, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office sanctioned a new felony charge against him for possession of contraband in a penal institution.
Medina has been detained since March 23. He is accused of fatally shooting 18-year-old Gorman at Tobey Prinz Beach in Rogers Park on March 19. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and is expected in court on June 1.
The tragic incident occurred when Gorman, accompanied by friends, was near a pier in Rogers Park around 1 a.m. on March 19. Upon noticing Medina behind a lighthouse, she signaled to her friends before Medina allegedly chased them, ultimately shooting her in the back. Her companions continued to flee and tried to hide. When they returned, Gorman was found unresponsive.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Medina at his apartment building shortly after the shooting, recognized by a building engineer due to his distinct limp and gait. Medina, a Venezuelan national previously arrested for shoplifting and released prior to the alleged murder, was apprehended at the southern U.S. border in 2023. Records show he was considered a flight risk without a valid asylum claim and released into the U.S. without a permanent address or identification.