A masked gunman fatally shot an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student along the city’s lakefront shortly after 1:30 a.m. Thursday while she was walking with friends. Authorities said Sheridan Gorman, a resident of Westchester County, New York, was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the scene.

Reports state that a 25-year-old man is in custody in connection with the shooting. According to Fox News, the suspect is a Venezuelan migrant. Officials had not yet publicly confirmed formal charges at the time of the report.

The Chicago Tribune reported that investigators were able to locate the suspect minutes after the shooting because witnesses described a “distinct limp.” The Tribune did not identify the individual, and police had not publicly released full case details.

In a letter sent to students Thursday, Mark C. Reed confirmed Gorman’s death.

“It is with profound sadness that I write to share that one of our students, Sheridan Gorman, was killed earlier today. This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Reed wrote.

Gorman was 18 years old and had been walking with friends along the lakefront when the shooting occurred. Her family in New York is now preparing funeral arrangements.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed an immigration detainer requesting that local officials not release the suspect if he becomes eligible for release.

According to DHS, the suspect, identified as Jose Medina-Medina, was previously encountered by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and later released into the country. DHS also said he was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023, and released afterward.

“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.

“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,” Bis added.

In December 2025, ICE Director Todd Lyons wrote to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul requesting cooperation with ICE warrants involving more than 4,000 criminal non-citizens in state custody, according to the report.

Separate reporting from The New York Times found that ICE arrests nationwide have averaged more than 1,100 per day this year, compared with roughly 600 per day during the same period last spring.

The report noted that arrest totals have varied significantly by region. It said some areas without highly publicized operations, including Florida and San Antonio, still saw rising arrests, while cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago experienced declines in recent months.

It also stated that Minnesota saw a sharp increase after a federal enforcement operation, with ICE’s St. Paul field office arresting more than 5,000 people from mid-December through March 10. Four field offices reportedly made more arrests during that span, led by Miami, followed by Dallas, Atlanta, and San Antonio.