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YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY – The New York teen heinously murdered near her Chicago university was remembered as a beloved student-athlete whose faith, joy and positivity lit up everyone around her – as hundreds packed a public memorial service in her hometown.
Heartbroken mourners flooded Jack DeVito Memorial Field in Yorktown in the frigid cold Saturday with pictures, pins and personalized jerseys to honor Sheridan Gorman, the 18-year-old Loyola University freshman who was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant near a Windy City lakefront on March 19.
“Sheridan, she was our joy, our collective joy, and now that joy has gone,” Gorman’s devastated father, Thomas, told a tearful crowd clad in the town’s green and white colors.
“But standing here tonight looking at you all, seeing the green and white, I know something – that joy didn’t just last in our home. It lives here in this community, and with those beyond our town. We are heartbroken, but we are not alone, and because of you, we are being carried through this.”
The grieving dad was wearing Gorman’s lacrosse jersey while standing beside his wife and daughter at the community vigil.
They hailed the teen as a confident young woman, a devout Christian, and a standout high school athlete who was a source of light and encouragement to her family and friends.
“Sheridan was the best of all of us – she didn’t just cheer for people, she believed in them,” her inconsolable mom, Jessica, told the crowd.
“She knew something that all of us could stand to remember: that enthusiasm, that positive thinking, that showing up for each other, it doesn’t just win games, it changes lives, and that is exactly what you’re all doing here tonight,” she continued.
“As a mom, I’m angry, I’m completely heartbroken, and we’re gonna fight for justice … because at the heart of all of this, we all want the same thing – for your children and for ours to be safe, to be protected, to come home … protecting them, loving them, showing up for them, that is how we honor her.”
Gorman and five friends were on a Chicago pier around 1 a.m. hoping to see the northern lights when a masked gunman allegedly jumped out from a hiding spot and fired a single shot that struck her in the head as she tried to flee.
Jose Medina-Medina – a Venezuelan national who entered the US in 2023 and was later released from jail following a prior bust under sanctuary policies – was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, weapons charges and related crimes.
Gorman’s grief-stricken older sister, Maddie — born just 11 months apart — said she is struggling to say goodbye as she’s reminded of all the major milestones she will no longer be able to share with her sibling.
“She walked into every room like she belonged there because she did, and it wasn’t just that she had confidence, she gave it away,” she said through tears.
“She made people feel like they mattered, like they were included, like they were enough, and she did that for me more than anyone.”
A private funeral service was held earlier in the day at the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown.
One couple said Sheridan – who was cremated – was always smiling and full of positivity, adding that they hope her family and the “hurting” community gets justice.
“I still can’t believe this, I am in shock,” the mourner told The Post after the service.
“Especially as a parent, I just can’t believe this happened. I want justice for her.”
English (US)