The mother of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student killed in March 2026, publicly accused Democratic members of Congress of dismissive and disrespectful behavior toward families of crime victims during a recent congressional hearing on sanctuary city policies.
Jessica Anne Gorman spoke Thursday at a Washington, D.C. gathering honoring victims of violent crime, an event attended by Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, border czar Tom Homan and drug czar Sara Carter. Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed while visiting friends near a pier and lighthouse in Chicago. Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally and had previously been released after a shoplifting arrest in Chicago, has been charged with her murder.
Jessica Gorman said she could hear lawmakers laughing while she testified about losing her daughter.
“And I thought to myself, ‘Boy, the hits just keep on coming,'” Jessica Gorman said.
She singled out Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who had noted during the hearing that it was the fourth session of its kind and that there were “many other things we could be doing.”
“We were all insulted by Democrat Representative Jayapal telling me — literally telling me — and all the other angel families in the room … with disdain on her face, that there’s other things they could be doing except listening to four sessions,” Jessica Gorman said.
“They give us five minutes to tell our daughter’s story,” Gorman added. “Our dead children’s story. She listened to four before mine. She didn’t want to listen to another. And, honestly, I think she should listen to everyone in this room.”
Gorman also accused Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., of napping during the hearing.
Another Family Speaks Out
Also addressing the event was Stephen Federico, whose daughter Logan Federico was killed while visiting friends at the University of South Carolina. Alexander Dickey, 30, a career criminal with dozens of prior arrests, is accused of shooting and killing her during a home break-in.
“My daughter wasn’t killed by an illegal alien,” Stephen Federico said. “She was killed by a home-grown American career criminal that we arrested 39 damn times. And he was on the street. Tell me that makes sense.”
“Can anyone tell me, please, how a felon like that is left on the street,” he added. “It’s from fingerprint problems. It’s from process problems. It’s from weak judges. It’s from weak prosecutors.”
Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to Jayapal’s office for comment.
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