House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday said the "system did not fail" 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman but instead "worked exactly as the Democrats intended," blaming immigration and sanctuary policies for the Chicago college student's killing.
Johnson's remarks came during the weekly House GOP leadership press conference, where he sharply criticized Democrat policies following the March 19 fatal shooting of the Loyola University Chicago freshman.
A 25-year-old man, Jose Medina-Medina, has been charged with first-degree murder and other felonies after allegedly approaching Gorman and her friends near a lakefront pier and opening fire, killing her as she tried to flee, according to Chicago police.
"Sheridan Gorman was [a] beautiful 18-year-old — a freshman ... enjoying time with her friends out on the pier looking at the Northern Lights," Johnson said. "And now her family is mourning her tragic and totally unnecessary loss."
He described the killing as preventable, pointing to the suspect's immigration status and prior encounters with authorities.
"The monster who did this ... was an illegal alien with a criminal record," Johnson said. "He had no legal right to be in this country."
Authorities have identified Medina-Medina as a Venezuelan national who entered the United States in 2023 and was later arrested and charged in the shooting.
Johnson argued that policies at both the federal and local level allowed the suspect to remain free.
"He was in the custody of law enforcement twice, and there were two chances to stop him. But Democrats' open borders guaranteed the release, and their soft-on-crime sanctuary policies ensured his impunity," he said.
"The irony of all this is that the system did not fail Sheridan. That worked exactly as the Democrats intended."
The case has intensified a national debate over immigration enforcement and sanctuary city policies, particularly in Chicago, where officials have defended existing laws while expressing condolences to the victim's family.
Johnson also linked the case to criticism of Democrats during an ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
"We're 40 days into this shutdown. It's the second-longest in history," Johnson said.
"They shut down the exact law enforcement agencies that are responsible for apprehending criminal illegal aliens."
He accused Democrats of leveraging the shutdown to push immigration priorities.
"They're holding the government hostage, and why?" Johnson said. "At the root of all, they want to reopen the border, and they want to protect criminal illegal aliens just like this murderer here."
He further criticized House Democrats for opposing recent GOP-backed immigration measures.
"Just last week, 190 Democrats voted against two bills. Common sense ... expedite the deportation of illegal aliens who abuse service animals ... and those who commit fraud in our country," he said.
"You don't have to take our word for it. Look at their actions ... they tell you what they prioritize, and it is the welfare of criminal illegal aliens over American citizens."
Gorman's death has drawn widespread attention and political reaction, with officials across the country weighing in as her family seeks justice and answers.
Johnson closed by calling the killing part of a broader pattern.
"How many more times this story have to be repeated?" he asked. "Everybody needs to be asking that question."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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