A progressive Chicago lawmaker issued an apology Tuesday after facing backlash for suggesting a slain college student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

Last Thursday, Sheridan Gorman, 18, of Westchester County, New York, was gunned down while taking a walk with friends around 1:30 a.m. along Chicago’s lakefront.

Alderwoman Maria Hadden sparked outrage on social media after she suggested in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago that the Loyola University Chicago student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that she may have “startled” the individual who shot and killed her.

The local Democrat’s comments were slammed as insensitive and also prompted a response from Gorman’s family, who referenced her remarks.

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Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden was blasted online over her response to the killing of Sheridan Gorman. (End Wokeness via X/Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)

Hadden, a progressive ally of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, released a statement Tuesday saying her interview on Fox 32 had “gone viral on conservative media,” and that her comments were in response to a question comparing Gorman’s murder to a separate 2018 case.

“In an effort to make sense of a senseless situation, I said things that landed wrong with some people,” she said. “My comments were never intended to blame the victim or to imply that Sheridan should not have been out enjoying the park or that it was her fault that she was shot.

“In the interview, I tried my best to share what limited information I had with our community as fast as possible while helping to address the fears people had about the shooting,” Hadden continued. “I sincerely apologize for any additional pain that my comments may have caused.”

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Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman was killed in Chicago on March 19, 2026. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram))

She added, “The fact that some media outlets are intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue my words during this tragedy is also unfortunate.”

Gorman’s family referenced Hadden’s remarks from the Fox 32 interview, saying the slain college student “deserved the future that was stolen from her.”

“What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not an abstraction. This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed.”

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Sheridan Gorman, a New York native, was reportedly only a few months away from completing her freshman year at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)

The family added: “We cannot accept a world where moments like this become something people grow used to. We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to violence. When we begin to accept these tragedies as inevitable, we all become vulnerable to them. Apathy is not harmless—it allows these moments to repeat.”

Jose Medina-Medina was arrested and charged with Gorman’s murder.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Medina is an illegal immigrant who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration before being apprehended and released into the country.

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DHS said the 25-year-old Venezuelan national was previously arrested for shoplifting in Chicago.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

By T. ZELLER – DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 17:47 EST, 8 March 2026 | Updated: 19:44 EST, 8 March 2026

Actress Jennifer Runyon, best known for her roles in Ghostbusters and Charles in Charge, has died at the age of 65, her family has announced. 

Her loved ones shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post, saying: ‘This past Friday night our beloved Jennifer passed away. It was a long and arduous journey that ended with her surrounded by her family.’ 

They added she would ‘always be remembered for her love of life and her devotion to her family and friends’ and concluded with, ‘Rest in peace our Jenn.’ 

No specific cause of death was disclosed, but the message referenced a lengthy health battle.

Born in Chicago in April 1960, Runyon launched her acting career in 1980 with a role in the slasher film To All a Goodnight. 

She soon became a familiar face on screens throughout the 1980s, often balancing film and television work.

Actress Jennifer Runyon, best known for her roles in Ghostbusters and Charles in Charge, has died at the age of 65, her family has announced; (pictured 2019)

Her breakout year came in 1984, when she appeared in the blockbuster comedy Ghostbusters as the nervous female student undergoing an ESP experiment

Her breakout year came in 1984, when she appeared in the blockbuster comedy Ghostbusters as the nervous female student undergoing an ESP experiment – a small but memorable part that has endured with fans of the classic film. 

That same year she starred as Gwendolyn Pierce on the beloved sitcom Charles in Charge, a role that helped establish her as a recognizable television presence.

She starred opposite Scott Baio in the sitcom’s early run before it was retooled and relaunched in syndication.

Runyon’s film credits also included comedies like Up the Creek and The In Crowd.

She also had small roles in the world war parody A Man Called Sarge and the cult sci‑fi horror Carnosaur.

On television she showed impressive range with roles in soap Another World, guest turns on Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap and Murder, She Wrote.

She even a part on Beverly Hills, 90210.

In 1988, she took on the nostalgic role of Cindy Brady in the holiday TV movie A Very Brady Christmas, stepping in for the original cast.

That same year she starred as Gwendolyn Pierce on the beloved sitcom Charles in Charge, a role that helped establish her as a recognizable television presence

On television she showed impressive range with roles in soap Another World, guest turns on Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap and Murder, She Wrote

She continued to act throughout the 1980s but stepped back from regular work in the early 1990s. 

Despite this, Runyon occasionally returned to the screen in later years, appearing in horror and cult projects such as Silent Night, Bloody Night 2: Revival (2015) and Terror Tales (2016). 

Offscreen, she led a quieter life in Southern California with her husband, basketball coach Todd Corman. 

Together, they raised two children while maintaining a low profile away from Hollywood’s spotlight.