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The mother of a slain Washington, D.C. congressional intern urged the family of Sheridan Gorman to “fight back” after she wrote a touching tribute on the college student’s obituary.
Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, 18, was shot and killed on March 19 while she was at a pier near campus in the city’s Rogers Park area. 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, the suspect in Gorman’s murder, entered the country illegally on May 9, 2023, and was apprehended then released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym, whose son Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting in Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025, wrote a touching tribute to Gorman and her family after she was killed.
“My sincerest condolences to the family. I and my family understand what you are going through as I went through the same thing July 1, 2025 with our innocent 21 yr old son. I pray for all of you,” Tarpinian-Jachym wrote. “The pain is the worse pain any family can go through and know your family is in my prayers along with all the other families who have gone through this.”
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Sheridan Gorman (L) was shot and killed on March 19. Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym (R) shared a message with the Gorman family to Fox News Digital after her son Eric (R) was shot and killed. (Sheridan Gorman/Instagram and Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym )
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Tarpinian-Jachym said she was “disgusted” upon learning about Gorman’s death.
“I cried. I was angered. I was disgusted. This is an ongoing issue in Chicago and a lot of these cities that should have never happened,” she said. “I was just really angered at that and, um, angered that there are no people in elected positions in these cities, in states. They just don’t care. They don’t about us, the victims, and the lifelong trauma this has on a family.”
Tarpinian-Jachym’s son, Eric, was killed in a drive-by shooting when several individuals exited a vehicle and began firing shots at a group of people, which included the congressional intern. He wasn’t the intended target, police said.
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Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, was also arrested for shoplifting and released before the alleged murder, DHS confirmed. (DHS)
“They need to fight. And I think parents of victims. We need to band together, all together,” Tarpinian-Jachym said. “My heart goes out to the Gormans. I understand what they’re going through.”
Tarpinian-Jachym also said she thinks leadership in Chicago and Illinois need to be held responsible.
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Sheridan Gorman smiles alongside the Chicago skyline in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
“The people in charge in Chicago should be held responsible for this. You know, I think the governor, the mayor, it’s disgusting what they’ve been saying for the last year. It really, it’s heart-wrenching to me that all these people are getting murdered,” she said.
Medina-Medina is expected in court Friday morning.
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Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman poses with the school’s mascot during a campus event in an undated photo. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
Gorman, who attended Yorktown High School in Yorktown Heights, New York, was described in an obituary as someone who “had a way of making people feel seen, valued, and believed in.” While in high school, Gorman participated in field hockey, lacrosse and bowling “among many other activities.”
“People often say someone ‘lit up a room’ or had ‘inner and outer beauty,’ but in Sheridan’s case, those phrases fall way too short. She radiated something even greater—a rare and unmistakable warmth, a spirit that was vibrant, compassionate, and full of life. She was funny, kind, and deeply loving, with a heart that made space for everyone,” her obituary states. “She loved fiercely—her family, her friends, her community, and her faith. She brought people together, lifted them up, and made the ordinary moments feel extraordinary simply by being in them.”
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Sheridan Gorman was killed after being shot in the head while taking a walk with friends at Tobey Prinz Beach, located less than a mile from the Illinois’ campus, around 1 a.m. on Thursday, March 19. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, according to DHS.
Following an arrest for shoplifting in Chicago, Medina was released on June 19, 2023, DHS said.
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He was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault with discharge of firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Chicago Police Department.
At the time of his June 2023 arrest, 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.