The grieving family of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman delivered an emotional and heartbreaking message this week: stop making excuses for the man accused of killing their daughter — and start confronting the policies they believe made her death possible.

Speaking during a tearful June 1 press conference, Sheridan’s parents blasted defense attorneys for Jose Medina, the 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged in her murder, after reports surfaced that he had allegedly been caught with a homemade weapon while being held in Cook County Jail.

For the Gorman family, the discovery shattered claims that Medina poses little threat.

“Correctional officers recovered the sharpened metal weapon from him after receiving information that other inmates feared for their safety,” Sheridan’s father, Thomas Gorman, told reporters.

Then came the emotional gut punch.

“So let’s stop pretending this man is harmless and has the mentality of a child,” he said. “He was a danger outside and he is apparently a danger inside.”

The suspect, Jose Medina, faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and weapons offenses stemming from the deadly March 19 shooting that took Sheridan’s life. Medina has pleaded not guilty.

According to prosecutors, Sheridan — a first-year student at Loyola University Chicago — had been walking with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach when they encountered Medina lurking in the shadows. As the group attempted to flee, Medina allegedly opened fire.

One bullet struck Sheridan in the back.

She never made it home.

“Forty feet — that’s how far my daughter ran for her life before evil caught her,” her mother, Jessica Gorman, said through tears.

“Did she know death was behind her? Was she crying out for me?” she asked. “I will never know, but I know that my baby died scared.”

The emotional testimony struck a nerve with many Americans already frustrated by crime, border failures, and sanctuary city policies that critics argue prioritize ideology over public safety.

Medina’s public defenders have argued that he suffers from severe developmental disabilities after surviving a gunshot wound in Colombia years ago. Attorneys claim he has “the brain development of a child,” pointing to medical issues that reportedly include seizures, mobility problems, and the loss of a portion of his brain.

His legal team also downplayed the jail weapon incident, arguing that inmates often feel unsafe and may seek ways to protect themselves.

Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler stated that Medina “cannot read or write” and suffers significant impairments.

But for Sheridan’s family, those explanations ring hollow.

Thomas Gorman made it clear that while Medina pulled the trigger, he believes failed government policy opened the door.

“Jose Medina is responsible for what he did to Sheridan,” he said. “But he did not get to Sheridan himself.”

“He got there through a broken system — through failed border enforcement, failed removal policies, failed local cooperation, and sanctuary policies that put ideology before safety.”

His criticism lands squarely in the middle of America’s fierce immigration debate, particularly in sanctuary cities like Chicago, where local officials have repeatedly clashed with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Yet Gorman also stressed an important distinction that many immigration critics say gets ignored.

“We love immigrants,” he said. “We deeply respect legal immigration.”

But then came the line drawing thunderous agreement from conservatives.

“Criminal illegal immigration is different,” Gorman said. “American families deserve to be protected in their own country.”

The tragedy has reignited scrutiny over Chicago’s sanctuary policies and whether local leaders have done enough to cooperate with immigration authorities in cases involving dangerous offenders.

For Sheridan’s family, however, this is no longer politics.

It’s personal.

A daughter is gone. A family is shattered.

And now, grieving parents say America must decide whether tragedies like this remain unavoidable — or preventable.