Loyola University Chicago student shot, killed while walking with friends: Police
The family of the 18-year-old student at Loyola University Chicago who was shot and killed while walking with her friends near campus has called for the case to be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of both state and federal law."
The slain student was identified by her family as Sheridan Gorman.
A 25-year-old man, Jose Medina-Medina, was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting, including first-degree murder.
"This is not justice -- it is the first step toward it," Gorman's family said in a statement.
“Sheridan was 18. She had her entire life ahead of her -- her education, her future, her family, the countless lives she would have touched. All of that was taken in a moment, and there is no way to repair that loss,” the family said.
Gorman and her friends were walking near Tobey Prinz Beach Park, less than a mile from the university's Lake Shore campus, when a male suspect walked up to them at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Chicago police said.
The male showed a gun and opened fire toward the friends, police said.
The victim was shot in the head and died at the scene, police said, adding that no one else was injured.
"Sheridan was the light of our lives," her family said in a previous statement. "She made people feel seen, safe, and loved simply by being who she was. She lived her faith with kindness, compassion, and joy, and she loved her family and friends deeply."
"We trusted that she would be safe. That trust was broken," the family continued. "Someone made a deliberate choice that stole our daughter and forever changed our family. We are demanding answers, and we will not stop until the person responsible is identified and brought to justice."
Loyola University president Mark Reed said in a statement, "This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan's family, loved ones, and all who knew her."
Reed said the university is offering counseling services and is in touch with law enforcement.
"Based on the information available to us now, there is no ongoing threat to our campus community," he said.
Gorman was also a "beloved" student at her former high school in Westchester County, New York.
"We are so deeply shattered by this tragic and senseless loss," Yorktown Central School District Superintendent Ron Hattar said in a statement. "Sheridan was loved by all who knew her, and her impact on students and staff alike was profound. She was a shining light for so many people."
