Police in Chicago report that a masked gunman shot and killed an 18-year-old Loyola University student while she was walking with friends near the lakefront.
Sheridan Gorman, 18, was a freshman at Loyola University Chicago. She had recently moved from New York and had just begun exploring the city. After returning from spring break, she and three friends went for a walk around 1:30 a.m. Thursday on a pier along Lake Michigan.
According to Chicago Police, a man wearing a ski mask approached the group and opened fire. Gorman suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died at the scene. Investigators say the shooting occurred just two blocks from the Loyola campus and appears to have been random.
Gorman’s family said in a statement that they loved her deeply and will miss her.
“We want people to know that Sheridan was wonderful and the kindest soul that ever was. She was so, so loved and cherished and will be missed by all whose lives she touched,” the statement read.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, and as of Thursday, no one was in custody.
A Loyola junior who asked to stay anonymous said a gunshot from the incident woke him.
“I just heard the screaming. They were saying, ‘Come help us. We’re over here.’ Since then, I couldn’t go back to sleep. It was something I never thought would happen in the community here,” the student said.
He said he believes some of Gorman’s friends hid in a grassy area near the pier while the shooter ran off.
“I didn’t know if it was a Loyola student at the time, but I had my suspicions. So, I started listening to police radio,” he said. “I just find it terribly tragic to send your daughter to school and find them to be dead.”
Dozens of Loyola students gathered Thursday night for a prayer vigil to honor Gorman.
“The reality kind of hit that you never know what could happen, especially since she’s a freshman. That’s what really got to me because she was 18 years old, and no one should have to worry about things like this at that age,” junior Sophie Buthion said.
Although Gorman’s time in Chicago was brief, the community wants her family to know she will not be forgotten.
“I hope that they feel supported by our school community because I know everyone wants to be there for them,” Buthion said.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden said she has been in contact with the Chicago Park District and police about increasing patrols in the area. She also said she may push for a security camera to be installed closer to the pier, where none currently exists.
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