A close friend of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, the Loyola University Chicago freshman who was fatally shot near Tobey Prinz Beach in Rogers Park, has given a raw and emotional firsthand account that is reshaping how many are viewing the tragedy.

The group of freshmen had gone out early Thursday morning hoping to see the northern lights and enjoy the Chicago skyline from the pier. According to the survivor, everything felt completely normal and safe — until a masked gunman suddenly appeared and fired a single shot. Sheridan was struck in the back and died from her injuries as her friends ran for cover and then rushed to help her.

In a heartbreaking interview, the surviving friend said the shooting “didn’t feel like it was intentionally targeted toward any of us.” She explained, “It seemed like he was there for a reason, and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m guessing, because there was not another shot after that. It was just one.”

Her words highlight the terrifying randomness of the violence that ended Sheridan’s life. The friends were doing something innocent and typical for college students — walking together near campus in what was understood to be a safe area. Instead, one moment of horror changed everything forever.

Sheridan’s mother, Jessica Gorman, has been vocal in her grief while keeping the family’s focus on honoring her daughter. Outside their home in New York, she vowed, “We are gonna get justice for Sheridan. We have a voice and it’s gonna be heard. We are beyond shattered.” Yet she has deliberately chosen not to name or discuss the accused gunman, 25-year-old Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan national, saying the family is concentrating this week on burying Sheridan and celebrating the beauty of her short but vibrant life.

Jose Medina faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutors say he emerged from behind a lighthouse structure as the group approached and fired as they tried to run. Surveillance video helped track him back to a nearby apartment where he was arrested.

The shooting has sparked intense discussion about public safety near Loyola’s campus and broader questions about crime in Chicago. Yet the survivor’s testimony brings a deeply human perspective: the friends did not feel specifically targeted. It was one sudden shot, one tragedy, and one life lost in what appeared to be a random, opportunistic act of violence.

At Loyola University and across the Chicago area, the community continues to mourn. Vigils have been held, and students describe Sheridan as a bright, joyful freshman excited about her new chapter in college. Her death has left classmates and friends reeling, with many emphasizing that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As the legal process moves forward, Sheridan’s family is determined that her voice and memory will not be overshadowed. They ask the public to remember Sheridan not only for how she died, but for the loving, cheerful young woman she was — the daughter, friend, and student whose light was extinguished far too soon.

The survivor’s account adds a painful layer to the horror: a group of friends out together, doing something normal and hopeful, suddenly confronted with unthinkable violence. In her words, it wasn’t personal. It was random. And that randomness makes the loss feel even more devastating.

Sheridan Gorman’s story has touched countless hearts. Her mother’s vow for justice, the survivor’s raw testimony, and the outpouring of love from the Loyola community all point to one shared desire: that Sheridan’s memory lives on, and that no other family has to endure this kind of pain.