An 18-year-old student who was walking with friends near Loyola University Chicago's lakeside campus was killed by a stranger who approached the group early Thursday. Police say Sheridan Gorman was with friends on the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach in Rogers Park around 1:15am when an unknown man approached and opened fire, hitting her in the head, Fox News reports. She died at the scene; no one else was injured. The shooter, described in a campus alert as wearing a face covering, fled. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive.
In a letter to students, Loyola President Mark C. Reed called Gorman's death "a tragic loss" and said the university is working with Chicago police, who are looking at possible links to other recent violent incidents in the area. The school said there is no indication of an ongoing threat to campus. Counseling services have been expanded, and a vigil is planned Thursday evening at Madonna della Strada Chapel.
Gorman, a first-year Loyola student, was from Yorktown Heights in New York's Westchester County, WABC reports. "Sheridan was loved by all who knew her, and her impact on students and staff alike was profound," a Yorktown School Community spokesperson said. "She was a shining light for so many people." The Chicago Sun-Times reports that her father, Thomas Gorman, wasn't ready to talk about the shooting on Thursday but he had a message to share: "Tell everyone to go hug their kids."
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