A 25-year-old Venezuelan nationwide who federal authorities say is in america with out authorized standing was ordered detained Friday after showing remotely in a Cook dinner County courtroom from a jail hospital, the place he’s being handled for tuberculosis.
Jose Medina, who officers stated has bullet fragments lodged in his mind from being shot in South America and can’t learn or write, is accused of fatally taking pictures 18-year-old Loyola College freshman Sheridan Gorman as she walked with pals alongside a pier at Loyola Seaside early on March 19.
Assistant State’s Legal professional Mike Pekara stated Gorman and 5 pals had been hanging out in a dormitory earlier than deciding to stroll to the lakefront to soak up the skyline. Two of the buddies break up off to discover a restroom, whereas Gorman and three others continued towards the pier, which extends into Lake Michigan and ends at a light-weight beacon.
Gorman, strolling barely forward, reached the construction first and was “startled” to see a person standing there, Pekara stated in a written detention submitting. She backed away and quietly warned her pals that somebody was behind the sunshine beacon. At that second, Medina allegedly emerged, dressed solely in black, together with a face overlaying, whereas holding a handgun.
All 4 college students ran. Pekara stated Medina fired a single shot, placing Gorman within the higher left portion of her again and exiting her neck.
The scholars who escaped hid in several areas alongside the seaside, with two crouching within the grass and one other taking cowl behind a concrete barrier. Two known as 911 whereas watching Medina, nonetheless wearing black, tempo on the pier. As soon as he left, two of them returned and located Gorman unresponsive and bleeding. They positioned one other 911 name and took cowl behind the beacon till officers arrived.
Gorman was transported to a hospital, the place she was pronounced useless. Investigators recovered a .40-caliber shell casing on the taking pictures scene.
Surveillance footage from Medina’s condo constructing within the 6800 block of North Sheridan Highway confirmed him leaving earlier than the taking pictures sporting a ski masks, gloves, a darkish jacket, a hooded sweatshirt, darkish pants, and black Nike fitness center footwear with white soles, prosecutors stated. A witness accustomed to Medina recognized him within the footage.
Further video tracked his actions eastbound towards the lakefront earlier than the taking pictures and westbound afterward, with prosecutors noting he appeared to stroll with a limp. Contained in the constructing elevator, cameras captured him along with his face uncovered, holding the ski masks and gloves whereas sporting the identical clothes, in line with prosecutors.
Police later executed a search warrant on the condo and took Medina into custody. Inside, officers recovered a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from a cupboard close to his mattress, wrapped in a black ski masks, prosecutors stated. Additionally they discovered clothes matching what he wore within the surveillance footage.
Preliminary ballistics testing confirmed a high-confidence match between the recovered shell casing and the firearm discovered within the condo, in line with Pekara.
Medina’s mom, who has held the lease on the unit since June 2024, advised investigators her son’s limp stemmed from a previous gunshot wound.
After being suggested of his Miranda rights, Medina acknowledged proudly owning the gun however denied leaving his condo on the time of the taking pictures. Prosecutors stated he nonetheless recognized himself in surveillance photos taken earlier than and after the assault.
Authorities stated there is no such thing as a identified connection between Medina and Gorman or her pals.
On the time of the taking pictures, Medina additionally had an lively arrest warrant in a misdemeanor retail theft case from 2023, a matter for which he by no means appeared in court docket.
Along with first-degree homicide, Medina faces prices of tried first-degree homicide involving a 19-year-old Loyola pupil who was with Gorman, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated illegal use of a weapon. Prosecutors stated he was not legally permitted to own a firearm.
Choose D’Anthony Thedford granted the state’s detention petition.
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