Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym, mother of a Washington, D.C. congressional intern killed in a 2025 drive-by shooting, urged the family of Sheridan Gorman to “fight back” following the college student’s fatal shooting in Chicago. Gorman, 18, was shot and killed near Loyola University Chicago’s campus on March 19.
Calls for Unity Among Victim Families
Tarpinian-Jachym wrote a tribute on Gorman’s obituary expressing condolences and shared her experience of losing her son, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, in a similar gang-related shooting in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2025. She emphasized the ongoing trauma victims’ families face and called for collective action among them.
In an interview, Tarpinian-Jachym said she was “disgusted” by Gorman’s death and frustrated by what she described as political leaders’ indifference to violence in cities like Chicago and Washington. She urged parents of victims to unite and pushed for accountability from city and state officials, including Chicago’s mayor and the Illinois governor.
Details on Suspect and Incident
Sheridan Gorman was shot in the head around 1 a.m. on March 19 while walking with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach, less than a mile from Loyola University Chicago. The suspect, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, had been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, but was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration.
Medina-Medina was previously arrested for shoplifting and subsequently released before the alleged murder. He is expected to face court proceedings on Friday morning. Authorities are investigating Gorman’s shooting as part of ongoing violent crime concerns in the area.
Sheridan Gorman’s Legacy
Gorman, a Yorktown High School graduate, was remembered in her obituary as a compassionate and vibrant individual who engaged in multiple sports and activities. Family and friends described her as someone who “had a way of making people feel seen, valued, and believed in,” highlighting her warmth and community spirit.
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