Illinois Governor JB Pritzker admitted there have been 'real failures' in the US immigration system after a Loyola student was murdered by an illegal migrant.
Pritzker, 61, admitted that key issues popped up at the national level, including the death of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly killed by Jose Medina, 25, an illegal Venezuelan migrant.
Gorman died from a gunshot wound to the head in the early hours of March 19 while walking with friends near the pier at Loyola Beach.
'This has been a terrible tragedy, and I know that the Gorman family has suffered mightily,' Pritzker said at an unrelated event.
'There have been real failures. Those failures, of course, extend beyond the borders of Illinois. They’re national failures, a failure to have comprehensive immigration reform, a failure of the president to follow his own edict to go after the worst of the worst.'
'And in my view, we have a lot of work that we need to continue to do,' he added.
His comments come after Republicans placed the blame for Gorman's death on him and other Democrats for allowing sanctuary cities, like Chicago, where Loyola is located.
Pritzker also found himself in hot water earlier this week for failing to speak about Gorman's death, despite mourning the loss of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who both died in Minneapolis during ICE protests.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker admitted there's been 'real failures' in the US immigration system and that all levels of government need to continue work to fix it
He call Sheridan Gorman's death a tragedy. She was an 18-year-old Loyola student, who was allegedly killed an illegal Venezuelan migrant earlier this month
The Democrat, who is known for speaking out against immigration enforcement and Donald Trump, shared images of himself placing flowers at a memorial site for Good and Pretti on his social media pages, but notably remained tight-lipped about Gorman.
Still, he has since reiterated that immigration is a federal matter, and state and local governments need to continue to 'prosecute or catch violent criminals and prosecute them.'
'We should continue to do that both on the state level and the national level,' the Democrat said.
Gorman had traveled from Yorktown Heights, New York, to begin her freshman year at Loyola, where she quickly became part of campus life. Friends and classmates later described her as vibrant and deeply rooted in her faith.
She was killed around 1.30am on March 19 as she and a group of friends walked along the pier near the university's Lake Shore Campus.
According to investigators, a masked gunman dressed in black approached and opened fire without warning.
Sources familiar with the investigation told CWB Chicago there was no indication of any altercation or provocation.
When Gorman and her friends crossed paths with Medina near the pier's light beacon, he allegedly fired a single shot, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. She died at the scene.
Jose Medina, 25, has been charged with her death. Homeland Security said he came in illegally under the Biden Administration
Pritzker's comments come after Republicans placed the blame for Gorman's death on him
Surveillance footage from multiple cameras was used to track the suspect to a nearby apartment building on North Sheridan Road, less than two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
A firearm recovered during a search warrant execution has been sent for ballistic testing to determine whether it was used in the killing.
According to DHS, Medina was first apprehended by US Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, during the Biden administration, and was released into the country.
Just over a month later, on June 19, 2023, he was arrested in Chicago for allegedly shoplifting $132 worth of merchandise from a Macy's and was once again released.
Court records show he failed to appear for subsequent hearings, leading a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest. He was never apprehended on that warrant.
