Chicago's mayor in a Tuesday news conference doubled down on recent comments that sparked backlash in the wake of the killing of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman.
At a "No Kings" rally in the Windy City on Saturday, Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to stop "assaults" on immigrants. The comments came on the same day that Gorman was buried, drawing fierce criticism from some. The suspect in her murder is Jose Medina-Medina, 25, an illegal immigrant from Colombia.
"We have [to] end the assaults against immigrants," Johnson said at the rally. "We have to get active. First of all, we have to make sure that we're participating in our democratic process. We've already seen election shift around this country, so things are happening. We have signed multiple executive orders to force ICE out of the city of Chicago."
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he would apologize to Gorman's parents, Johnson ducked the question.
"I will again acknowledge the tragedy of the loss of life here," Johnson said. "You know, look, burying a child is something that no parent should have to do, especially as someone who is a parent. The tragedy that occurred is one that, quite frankly — it challenges us to do better to ensure that we are protecting people — and you know, as far as the call for no kings, what I said, and I still stand by this, that we do have to protect working people. We do have to ensure that the immigrant community is not being assaulted."
"Violating people's Constitutional rights does not make us safer," the mayor continued.
He was asked the same question in a news conference last week, and also answered indirectly.
"Will you take this opportunity to apologize to Sheridan's parents for the policies that you have promoted, that have directly caused her death? That suspect would not be in the city, would not be in the country, but for your policies. Will you take this opportunity to apologize?" a reporter asked.
"Once again, I believe that we're all grieving the loss of Sheridan and other folks who have lost their lives because of senseless violence," Johnson responded. "And let's just be very clear, between the SAFE-T Act and the welcoming city ordinance, the welcoming city ordinance was passed 40 years ago by the first Black mayor in the history of Chicago, and the SAFE-T Act was passed under the governor at that time, who was a Republican."
Medina-Medina is accused by prosecutors of hiding behind a lighthouse before running toward Gorman and her friends, firing his weapon indiscriminately. The alleged murder took place in the early morning hours of March 19.
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The illegal alien suspect has been charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a weapon.
Medina-Medina entered the country illegally under the Biden administration and was released into the country, DHS said.
Medina-Medina was arrested in 2023 and charged with shoplifting after he allegedly stole just over $130 in merchandise from a Macy's in downtown Chicago. He failed to appear for court hearings related to that case, and an arrest warrant remained active until the alleged murder.
Gorman's family ripped Johnson for his initial response to her alleged murder.
"What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to a ‘senseless tragedy,’ nor can it be explained in general terms about public safety. Sheridan was our daughter. She was 18 years old. She was doing something entirely normal—walking near her campus with friends. She should be here," the family said.
"Calling this ‘senseless’ is not enough. There must be a clear and honest accounting of what went wrong," the family added. "We will not allow Sheridan’s life to be reduced to a talking point or a generalization. We expect leadership that is willing to confront hard truths and ensure that what happened to her does not happen again."
The suspect's lawyer says that after crossing the border illegally, he was bused from Texas to Chicago, despite requesting to be sent home to Columbia, according to The Chicago Tribune. The governor's office reportedly said they have no record of busing Medina-Medina anywhere.
Johnson's office declined to comment.
