New details in the death of Yorktown native, suspect makes first court appearance in Chicago
News 12 received sketches from Jose Medina's appearance in a Chicago courtroom, where he faces charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman.
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The man accused of killing a Yorktown teenager appeared virtually in court on Friday.
News 12 received sketches from Jose Medina's appearance in a Chicago courtroom, where he faces charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman.
According to Cook County prosecutors, on March 18, 2026, Gorman and her friends left the Loyola University campus and walked to a beach nearby. Gorman then walked ahead of her friends to a lighthouse and that's when she first encountered Medina.
Prosecutors say Gorman walked back towards her friends and Medina followed with a firearm and opened fire as the group ran.
Gorman was struck once, according to prosecutors.
Medina's public defender, Julie Kohler, spoke after the hearing.
"Jose has a mentality of a child. He is missing a portion of his brain. He cannot read and cannot write," Kohler said.
The Gorman family released a statement that reads in part, "There were moments today when the focus turned toward understanding the life of the accused."
The statement continued, "We also listened to a painful recounting of the last moments of our daughter's life and the accused returning home to his mother. That is something Sheridan will never do again."
The court appearance comes just one day before Sheridan's wake, as well as a celebration of life that is being held at Jack DeVito Memorial Field Saturday evening.
Medina's next court appearance is scheduled for April 15.
