The heartbroken parents of slain Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman have spoken out for the first time since their daughter was gunned down by an illegal immigrant.

Sheridan, 18, was shot dead in the early hours of March 19 while walking with friends near Chicago's lakefront. Her death shattered her family and has once again ignited a debate over crime and immigration.

'I don't care what side of the aisle politically people are on, or is right in the middle like us. This can't happen. We've got to make changes,' her mother, Jessica Gorman, told CBS News.

'We all should be able to agree about the safety of our kids,' her father, Thomas, added.

The freshman, who had recently arrived in Chicago from Yorktown, New York, was out with friends near the lakefront around 1:30am when a masked gunman approached the group and opened fire. 

Sheridan was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators have said the shooting appears to have been random - a senseless act of violence that claimed the life of a teenager described by her family as 'the light of our lives.' 

The suspect, José Medina, 25, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was arrested days later and charged with first-degree murder and other felonies. Authorities say he first entered the United States in 2023. 

Records show Medina had previously been arrested in Chicago on a theft charge and released on bond. 

He later failed to appear in court, prompting a warrant for his arrest, but remained free until Sheridan was killed.

He is now being held in Cook County jail without bond.

In court filings, Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler described the case as 'a tragedy,' adding that Medina had suffered a gunshot wound to the head as a teenager and has 'the mental capacity of a child.'

For Sheridan's parents, the focus is not just on the man accused of pulling the trigger - but on what they say are broader systemic failures.

Asked what accountability would look like, mom, Jessica said, 'I don't think we know yet.'

'There's definitely policies that contributed to this happening, and we can't save Sheridan,' her father added. 'But we can't just not do anything.'

'Sheridan was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together,' the family said in an earlier statement. 

'We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is justice.'

They have described her as someone who 'made people feel seen, safe and loved,' and said the trust they had in her safety was shattered.

The killing has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump who took the opportunity to publicly blame former President Joe Biden's immigration policies for allowing Medina to remain in the country.

'A precious 18-year-old college student named Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed while walking in a park, innocently,' Trump said during remarks last month at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual fundraising dinner.

'The illegal alien monster charged with Sheridan's murder had come illegally from Venezuela and had been released into our country by Sleepy Joe Biden,' he continued, while also criticizing Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago's sanctuary city policies.

Trump later called the killing 'devastating'. 'These people were let in by Biden… We're getting them out fast,' he promised.

Officials in Illinois have pushed back, with Governor Pritzker describing the case as a 'terrible tragedy' while arguing that failures extend beyond the state and reflect broader national issues, including the lack of comprehensive immigration reform.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also criticized federal enforcement priorities, saying they do not reflect public safety realities.