President Trump targets former administration border policies following the fatal shooting of Chicago student

President Trump blames previous administration's border enforcement for the death of Sheridan Gorman as the suspect's criminal history is revealed.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 26, 2026, 6:23 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Daily Mail

Executive Criticism of Historical Border Enforcement

President Donald Trump utilized a high profile speaking engagement at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner to address the recent killing of Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman. During his remarks, the President explicitly blamed the open border policies of the previous administration for allowing the suspect, 25 year old Jose Medina-Medina, to enter and remain in the United States. Trump characterized the situation as a preventable consequence of systemic failures in federal oversight, labeling the circumstances of the student's death as devastating and a direct result of past executive decisions regarding migrant processing.

The Criminal History of the Suspect in Custody

Records provided by the Department of Homeland Security confirm that Medina-Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, before being released into the interior of the country. His legal history within the U.S. continued just one month later when he was arrested in Chicago for allegedly shoplifting merchandise from a retail outlet. Although he was released following that incident, court documentation reveals he subsequently failed to appear for required hearings, resulting in an outstanding warrant that remained unserved at the time of the shooting. This sequence of events has become a focal point for critics of current sanctuary city protocols.

The Fatal Encounter at Loyola Beach

The shooting occurred in the early morning hours at a pier near Loyola Beach, where Gorman was walking with friends. Prosecutors allege that Medina-Medina was hiding near the location before opening fire on the college freshman. While a specific motive for the attack has not been established, the investigation relied heavily on surveillance footage that captured a suspect with a distinct limp and slow gait. These images allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify Medina-Medina, leading to his arrest at an apartment in the Rogers Park neighborhood where a matching .40 caliber handgun was reportedly recovered.