U.S. News
Immigration Release Sparks Backlash in Chicago Murder Case
Clear Facts
- A Venezuelan national released into the U.S. by the Biden administration allegedly murdered 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman.
- Defense attorneys claim the suspect is illiterate and missing parts of his brain following a 2018 injury in South America.
- Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed the suspect entered illegally and was previously released after a shoplifting arrest.
Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly shooting college freshman Sheridan Gorman in the back at a Chicago park. The suspect was released into the interior of the United States despite having no valid asylum claims.
Defense attorneys argue the suspect suffers from epilepsy and developmental delays, leaving him with the mental capacity of a seven-year-old child.
This claim stems from a 2018 incident where he was shot in the head years before crossing the southern border.
Prosecutors maintain they have overwhelming evidence, including video showing the suspect in a mask and gloves hiding behind a lighthouse to ambush the student. Gorman was shot while visiting Lake Michigan with friends to view the Northern Lights.
“Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuela criminal illegal alien, entered the U.S. illegally and was released into the country by the Biden’s catch release and polices,” a DHS spokesperson stated.
“He had no pending asylum claims and should have never been allowed into our country.”
Records show Medina-Medina turned himself in at the border in 2023 but was bussed to Chicago where he was later arrested for shoplifting.
He was released following that arrest just months before the fatal shooting occurred.
The suspect appeared at his hearing virtually while receiving treatment for tuberculosis he contracted while living in a migrant shelter.
His legal team continues to cite his medical history as a primary factor in his defense.
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