Man accused in killing of Yorktown teen makes first court appearance in Chicago
Jose Medina, 25, made his first in‑person court appearance Wednesday in Chicago.
The man accused of killing Yorktown teen Sheridan Gorman made his first in‑person court appearance Wednesday in Chicago.
Jose Medina faced a federal charge of illegally possessing a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He is also charged at the state level with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and illegal possession of a weapon.
During Wednesday's hearing, Illinois prosecutors asked a judge to order Medina to submit a DNA sample to state police. Medina's public defender objected, but the judge approved the request.
The judge did grant a separate defense request seeking medical treatment for a bullet fragment lodged in Medina's nasal cavity.
His attorney said the fragment stems from a 2018 shooting in Colombia and has been causing headaches and distress.
Medina, a 25‑year‑old Venezuelan migrant, is accused of fatally shooting 18‑year‑old Sheridan Gorman on March 19.
Gorman was a freshman at Loyola University Chicago.
Police said she and friends were walking along a lakefront pier when Medina allegedly stepped out of bushes and opened fire. Gorman died at the scene, authorities said.
Meanwhile, internal Border Patrol records released this week detailed Medina's interaction with federal agents three years ago.
According to those records, Medina was apprehended at the southern border in El Paso, Texas, in 2023.
The documents state he was flagged as a flight risk, had no valid asylum claim, lacked identification and could not provide a verifiable contact in the U.S.
Records show Medina said he intended to live in New Rochelle.
Despite those findings, the documents show he was processed for a notice to appear in court and released due to a lack of space.
Medina remains jailed in Chicago and is scheduled to return to court April 29.
