Major cable networks CNN and MSNOW have avoided covering the murder of Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman, whose accused killer is an undocumented Venezuelan migrant previously released by local authorities despite an outstanding warrant.
Jose Medina-Medina, 25, faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and weapons violations in connection with the early Thursday morning shooting that killed 18-year-old Gorman near Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
While local Chicago stations and national outlets have extensively covered the case, viewers of CNN and MSNOW have been left largely uninformed about the circumstances surrounding Gorman’s death and the suspect’s immigration status. According to transcript searches by Grabien Media, neither network had mentioned the case through Tuesday morning.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Medina-Medina entered the United States illegally and was apprehended by Border Patrol in May 2023 before being released into the country. By June 2023, he was living at a city-sponsored migrant shelter in Rogers Park. He was arrested for retail theft at the Macy’s on State Street that same month and released on bond. When he failed to appear in court, a warrant was issued for his arrest in August 2023—which remained outstanding at the time of Gorman’s murder.
Police say Medina-Medina was hiding behind a lighthouse on the pier when Gorman and her friends approached around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday. The group had ventured out hoping to see the Northern Lights. When Gorman noticed someone lurking near the lighthouse and alerted her friends, the masked gunman emerged and opened fire as they fled. Gorman was struck in the back and died at the scene. Investigators described the shooting as random.
Authorities arrested Medina-Medina on Friday night after witnesses described the shooter’s distinct slow gait and limp. Surveillance video captured a man matching that description walking away from the scene, and facial recognition technology—matched against U.S. Customs and Border Protection records—helped identify the suspect.
Police tracked Medina-Medina to a nearby apartment building on North Sheridan Road, just blocks from where Gorman was killed. Footage captured him coming in through a back entrance and later appearing unmasked in the lobby, a mask in his hand. A building engineer said he was a resident. Officers took him into custody inside his unit, where they recovered black clothing matching the shooter’s description and a .40-caliber handgun consistent with shell casings found at the scene.
Medina-Medina did not appear in court on Monday because he is hospitalized with tuberculosis. His detention hearing has been postponed to Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security filed an immigration detainer for Medina-Medina and revealed he had been in custody and released on two separate occasions in 2023—first by Border Patrol in May, then by Chicago authorities in June following his shoplifting arrest.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a DHS statement. “We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”
President Donald Trump addressed the killing on Monday before departing for Florida on Air Force One, calling Gorman’s death “devastating” and blaming the immigration policies of former President Joe Biden. “This person came in through the open door policy of Joe Biden,” Trump said. He called Medina-Medina an “animal” and vowed to continue deporting undocumented immigrants “by the tens of thousands.”
Governor J.B. Pritzker responded that while violent crime has no place in Illinois streets, “The Trump Administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions.”
Gorman graduated from Yorktown High School in Yorktown Heights, New York, last year before attending Loyola University Chicago, where she studied business and was active in the Christian organization Cru. Her family released a statement describing her as “the heart of our family” who “had a rare ability to bring people together.”
The family rejected any suggestion their daughter contributed to what happened. “We will not allow this to be dismissed as ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ This was not random misfortune. This was a violent and preventable act,” they said.
The Yorktown community honored Gorman and her family on Saturday, with residents using green-tinted light bulbs—one of the school’s colors—to show support. A fundraiser has raised over $130,000 to create a memorial or scholarship in her honor.
Loyola University President Mark C. Reed said the university is offering counseling services and remains in contact with law enforcement. “This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Reed said.
The case has reignited fierce debate over sanctuary city policies in Chicago and Illinois. State law—the Illinois TRUST Act, signed by former Republican Governor Bruce Rauner—prohibits local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration officials or honoring ICE detainers. Acting Assistant Secretary Bis called on state leaders to ensure Medina-Medina is not released “back into American neighborhoods.”
While ABC, FOX, CBS, and NBC News have provided detailed coverage of the murder and its political implications, CNN and MSNOW have left their audiences unaware of key details surrounding the case.