Chicago alderwoman closes office after 'wrong place at the wrong time' comment on slain student fuels backlash
A Chicago alderwoman closed her office for the rest of the week in response to backlash over comments that a slain college student was in the "wrong place at the wrong time," citing safety concerns.
Sheridan Gorman, 18, was killed March 19 around 1 a.m. when she was on a pier in the city's Rogers Park area, just north of Loyola University Chicago, where the freshman attended college.
The suspect in Gorman's murder, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol May 9, 2023, then released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
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After the shooting, Alderwoman Maria Hadden suggested in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago that Gorman was in the "wrong place at the wrong time," adding that she might have "startled" the individual accused of killing her.
In a Facebook story posted on Wednesday, Hadden announced her office would be closed for the rest of the week due to safety concerns.
"My team and I are taking these precautions to ensure our safety and ability to maintain the level of service that you expect of us. I am still working as usual and will be out and about in our ward this week," she wrote.
Hadden apologized for the comments, which she said had "gone viral on conservative media," stating that her comments were in reference to a question that compared Gorman's murder to a separate case in 2018.
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"In an effort to make sense of a senseless situation, I said things that landed wrong with some people," Hadden said. "My comments were never intended to blame the victim or to imply that Sheridan should not have been out enjoying the park or that it was her fault that she was shot.
"I sincerely apologize for any additional pain that my comments may have caused," Hadden added. "The fact that some media outlets are intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue my words during this tragedy is also unfortunate."
The Gorman family said in a statement that Sheridan's body was brought back to Yorktown Heights, her hometown, on Tuesday.
"The Gorman family extends its deepest gratitude to the Yorktown Police Department and the many law enforcement agencies who escorted Sheridan home yesterday," the family said. "What could have been an unbearable journey was carried out with dignity, honor, and profound respect. We are deeply thankful for the care shown to our daughter and to our family in that moment."
Medina-Medina was scheduled to appear in court Monday, but the hearing was postponed because he's hospitalized with tuberculosis. The hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.
A Cook County Sheriff's Office spokesman told Fox News Digital Friday that Medina-Medina was in the medical division of its jail.
Medina-Medina in 2023 was charged with shoplifting after prosecutors said he stole just over $130 in merchandise from a Macy's in downtown Chicago.
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He failed to appear for a court hearing for the shoplifting charge, resulting in a failure to appear warrant being issued. That warrant was still active when he allegedly shot and killed Gorman, according to court records.
A police source told Fox News earlier that the shooting was an apparent ambush, adding that the suspect was reportedly wearing some kind of face mask or covering.
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An arrest report obtained by Fox News Digital states that, after the shooting, Medina-Medina was seen on video in his apartment building's lobby waiting for an elevator while he wasn't masked. A building engineer told police he knew the suspect who had a "very distinct limp and gait."
Images of the suspect were sent to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina-Medina. He was arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park, according to the arrest report.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show that Medina-Medina told officials he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants.
The shelter closed in 2024, according to South Side Weekly.