Friend of slain Loyola student Sheridan Gorman says Rogers Park shooting didn’t feel ‘targeted’

Sheridan Gorman and her friends took an early morning stroll to the pier close to Tobey Prinz Beach on Thursday, hoping to capture some photos with a view of the skyline.

When they got there, a masked gunman “emerged from the shadows" and fired a single shot, according to a Chicago police report.

One of Gorman’s friends who witnessed the shooting told the Chicago Sun-Times that “it didn’t seem like it was intentionally targeted toward any of us.”

“It seemed like he was there for a reason, and we were just [in the] wrong place, wrong time. I'm guessing, because there was not another shot after that. It was just one,” said the friend, who requested anonymity because an investigation remains open.

The friends fled in different directions when the shot rang out, but circled back when they saw Gorman on the ground. She had been shot in her head and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Gorman's friend, a fellow freshman at Loyola University Chicago, described her as “one of the nicest people that I've ever met.”

“She's just always been here for anybody with a smile on her face,” he said. “She is just a positive person.”

Gorman’s family issued a statement demanding to know why someone decided to murder the 18-year-old known for her “kindness, compassion and joy.”

“Sheridan was the light of our lives,” her parents said. "Someone made a deliberate choice that stole our daughter and forever changed our family. We are demanding answers, and we will not stop until the person responsible is identified and brought to justice.”

Gorman’s father, Thomas, wasn’t ready to talk about the shooting earlier this week. But he had a simple message in a brief interview with the Sun-Times: “Tell everyone to go hug their kids.”

A letter sent to students from Loyola President Mark C. Reed announced Gorman’s death with “profound sadness."

“This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Reed said. "We are in close contact with law enforcement as they investigate and work to understand the full circumstances of this tragedy."

As of Friday, police officials hadn't provided an update on the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Loyola University campus safety at 773-508-SAFE, or the Chicago Police Department at 911 or 312-744-8263.