ELIZABETH COOK:
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The man suspected in the murder of Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman had his detention hearing today. Jose Medina is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of the 19-year-old student. CBS reporter Ash-har Quraishi joins us now. Ash-har, what's the latest on this case? Well, Elizabeth, the judge ordered Jose Medina, a Venezuelan migrant in the US without legal status, held without release today. This, after hearing that played out mostly over video, with Medina appearing from a hospital unit via Zoom, where he's being treated for tuberculosis. Now, prosecutors focused on what they called a random attack, telling the court Medina waited near a lighthouse before opening fire on a group of students, killing Sheridan Gorman with a single shot to the back. They also pointed to key evidence, including surveillance video, tracking him back to his apartment, where police say they recovered a 40-caliber handgun, a mask, and clothing that was matching what the shooter was wearing. So preliminary ballistics from that gun show high confidence that it's a match to the shell casing that was found at the scene. And the judge said that evidence, combined with the random nature of the shooting, meets the threshold to keep him in custody, calling him a clear threat to the community. Now, the defense did not fight that. And in a rare move, actually asked Medina to remain in jail, citing serious medical issues, including a prior brain injury, epilepsy, and his current TB diagnosis. They also warned that if released, he could be taken into federal immigration custody and potentially deported, which they would say would not allow him to have due process. Now, Medina is expected back in court in mid-April. Elizabeth. Ash-har Quraishi, thank you so much for that.
