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Chicago Alderwoman Faces Backlash Over Comments About College Student’s Murder
A Chicago alderwoman has drawn widespread criticism following her remarks about the shooting death of 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant last week.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden suggested in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago that Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago from Westchester County, New York, was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and may have “startled” the person who shot her. Gorman was killed while walking with friends along Chicago’s lakefront around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
The comments sparked immediate outrage across social media platforms, with critics arguing they demonstrated insensitivity and a lack of concern about violent crime from city leadership.
Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Unbelievable. Perhaps these politicians can put out a comprehensive list of the places we should avoid and the times we should avoid them so as not to get shot to death by strangers.”
CWB Chicago, a reader-funded public safety news outlet, criticized Hadden for seemingly creating excuses for the alleged shooter before the suspect was even identified. “Imagine being an alderman, having a college freshman murdered in your ward, and, before the suspect is even identified, posting a video in which you brainstorm an excuse that maybe the victim ‘startled’ the guy who killed her,” the outlet posted.
New York City Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino suggested Hadden’s comments reveal a broader Democratic attitude toward crime. “This is how most Democrats think about crime, she’s just saying it out loud,” Paladino wrote. “They have no interest in taking any kind of action, because they don’t think any of it is a big deal.”
The Gorman family released a statement directly addressing Hadden’s remarks, rejecting the characterization that their daughter was simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”
“What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the family said. “This is not an abstraction. This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed.”
The statement continued with a call against complacency about urban violence: “We cannot accept a world where moments like this become something people grow used to. We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to violence. When we begin to accept these tragedies as inevitable, we all become vulnerable to them. Apathy is not harmless—it allows these moments to repeat.”
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the suspect in Gorman’s murder, Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, entered the United States during the Biden administration before being apprehended and subsequently released. DHS also revealed that Medina-Medina had a previous arrest in Chicago for shoplifting prior to the alleged murder.
The case has intensified ongoing debates about urban crime rates and immigration policy in Chicago, where both issues have been politically divisive. The city has struggled with perceptions about public safety, particularly in tourist and lakefront areas that have traditionally been considered safer than other parts of the city.
Gorman, who was reportedly just months away from completing her freshman year at Loyola University Chicago, has been remembered by family members as someone with a bright future ahead of her. Photos shared on social media show her enjoying Chicago city life, including attending a Bears game at Soldier Field.
Fox News Digital reached out to Alderwoman Hadden’s office for comment, but no response had been reported at the time of publication.
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7 Comments
Tragic incident, but the alderwoman’s comments were ill-advised. Victim-blaming rhetoric from public officials is counterproductive and erodes public trust. The city should be exploring ways to improve public safety for all residents, not making excuses for violent crime.
I concur. Alderwoman Hadden’s remarks were highly insensitive and demonstrated a lack of concern for the victim’s family. City leaders should be focused on solutions, not speculating about the circumstances.
This is a tragic situation. While comments from politicians should be thoughtful, Alderwoman Hadden’s remarks come across as insensitive and misguided. Violent crime impacts all residents, regardless of immigration status, and city leaders should focus on constructive solutions to improve public safety.
Victim-blaming rhetoric from elected officials is unacceptable. Shifting responsibility onto the victim is disrespectful to the family and does nothing to address the real issues behind this senseless violence. The city needs to take concrete steps to protect all its residents, not make excuses.
I agree. Alderwoman Hadden’s comments were highly inappropriate and demonstrated a lack of empathy. The focus should be on finding ways to prevent such tragedies, not speculating about the victim’s actions.
This is a sensitive and complex issue, but the alderwoman’s comments were misguided and unhelpful. Shifting blame onto the victim is unacceptable, regardless of immigration status. The city needs to take a more thoughtful, nuanced approach to improve public safety for all residents.
This is a complex issue, but the alderwoman’s remarks were misguided. While immigration status is relevant, it should not be the primary focus. All residents deserve to feel safe in their communities, regardless of background. The city leadership needs to take a more thoughtful, nuanced approach.