The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called out the Chicago Tribune on X for omitting the immigration status of the suspect in the fatal shooting of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman.
The move came after a Tribune report on the incident, by criminal justice reporter Caroline Kubzansky and senior deputy content editor Deanese Williams-Harris, described the suspect as a “Rogers Park man” without mentioning that he was an undocumented immigrant.
Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune senior deputy content editor,
co-authored the report on Sheridan Gorman’s killing. (MuckRack)
“SHAME on the Chicago Tribune for this BLATANT OMISSION. The illegal alien suspected of murdering Sheridan Gorman is a TWICE RELEASED criminal illegal alien. This murder NEVER should have happened because this illegal alien should NEVER have been in our country,” DHS said on X.
Gorman, 18, was fatally shot March 19 near her campus in the 1000 block of West Pratt Boulevard in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
Authorities said Jose Medina-Medina, 25, approached Gorman and her friends while masked and armed, then opened fire as they fled, striking her in the head at close range. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Medina-Medina was arrested March 20 and faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
A detention hearing scheduled for March 23 was postponed after officials said he is being treated for tuberculosis.
Critics said the Tribune’s description of Medina-Medina as a “Rogers Park man” downplays his status as an undocumented immigrant with prior criminal encounters.
“The Trib has known since yesterday that Medina-Medina, they had his name, was an illegal. And if they didn’t, all they had to do was visit an honest news source, CWB Chicago, who reported his status 24 hour ago,” Chicago-based blogger Marathon Pundit said on X.
DHS previously highlighted Medina-Medina’s prior law enforcement encounters, noting he had been apprehended crossing the U.S. border in 2023 and later arrested in Chicago for shoplifting, but was released both times.
Independent reporter William J. Kelly told Fox News Medina-Medina “never should have been in the country to begin with” and criticized policies that allowed him to remain free despite prior offenses.
Observers say the Tribune’s coverage of the Gorman case fits a broader pattern of editorial decisions that critics argue prioritize ideological narratives over accurate, contextually complete reporting.
In October 2025, Tribune reporter Olivia Olander appeared on MSNBC covering a Chicago resident confronting ICE agents; some critics said the segment framed federal law enforcement in a negative light while not addressing public safety concerns.
In a July 2025 column, Jack Lucey of the Chicago Contrarian criticized the Tribune’s editorial approach, citing coverage of pro-Palestinian protests that omitted opposing perspectives and the ouster of conservative columnist John Kass after criticism of George Soros.
Former Tribune political editor Mark Jacob acknowledged an internal bias favoring Democratic officials, contrasting them with Republican figures he described as threats to democracy.
The Tribune also faced backlash in 2023 when former political reporter Gregory Pratt accepted donations from Democratic political figures he covered, raising questions about journalistic integrity and impartiality.
