Chicago Freshman Fatally Shot in Rogers Park Ambush

An 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman was fatally shot in an apparent ambush early on March 19 while walking with friends along a pier in the city's Rogers Park neighborhood, authorities said. The suspect, 25-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina, faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and unlawful use of a weapon after allegedly firing a single shot that struck Sheridan Gorman in the head, killing her at the scene.

Gorman, a Westchester County native and first-year student, had been out with a group hoping to view the northern lights near the Loyola Beach area around 1:30 a.m., according to police reports and witnesses. The group encountered a masked individual dressed in black who approached them suddenly. As they fled, the gunman fired once, hitting Gorman. No other injuries were reported among her friends.

Medina-Medina was arrested later that day at his apartment in Rogers Park. Surveillance video captured the shooting, and investigators used facial recognition technology to match images against U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, leading to his identification. A building engineer also recognized him from footage in the...