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Katie Abraham’s father slams JB Pritzker amid Sheridan Gorman's fatal shooting; ‘No one should…’
Katie Abraham's father publicly rebuked Governor Pritzker for his silence on his daughter's death in Illinois amid Sheridan Gorman's killing in Chicago
The father of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old woman killed in Illinois earlier this year, has publicly criticised Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing him of failing to acknowledge her death while responding to other tragedies, including the recent killing of Sheridan Gorman.
In a strongly worded statement shared on X, Abraham’s father questioned why the governor had publicly mourned victims of a Minnesota tragedy but had “never said her name” or responded to his private letter following his daughter’s death on January 19, 2025.
The remarks come amid growing attention on the fatal shooting of Sheridan Gorman in Chicago, who was shot by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, Jose Medina, last Thursday, when she and a group of friends walked to the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach.
Read more: Sheridan Gorman: Chicago councilwoman's ‘wrong place' remark sparks row
Joe Abraham: “Enough is Enough”
In a March 22 X post, Abraham's father extended condolences to the Gorman family, calling the latest incident a "preventable violence.” He wrote, “No one should endure this. Another young life lost to preventable violence in Illinois. How many more?”
Katie Abraham, along with Chloe Polzin, was killed on January 19 in a hit-and-run incident while visiting the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There were three more people hurt in the vehicle.
An illegal immigrant, just like in Gorman's case, was driving the car that hit Abraham and Polzin.
Julio Cucul-Bol was deported in 2016, according to Abraham's parents, but it's unknown when he came back to the US. According to federal court records, Cucul-Bol produced fake documents with Chase Bank in November 2023.
The Abraham family has been outspoken about their daughter's passing, accusing Illinois Democrats of sanctuary policies while arguing that the nation needs more stringent screening procedures.
In his recent X post, Abraham's father further urged accountability from the state's leadership. “Leaders will offer words, then erase this story for political expediency. Demand accountability. Enough is enough.”
In a statement released by Abraham's father last year said, “ Katie was killed by someone who really could have been vetted and not been in this country, and she would be here with us today.”
Read more: Sheridan Gorman: 5 things to know on Jose Medina-Medina, illegal arrested
“Where is your [JB Pritzker] compassion for my daughter?”
In a separate post, Abraham’s father said his daughter “was simply living her life and it was taken from her.”
In the post, he also criticised the lack of response from the governor’s office despite reaching out privately.
“Where is your compassion for my daughter?” he wrote, urging Pritzker to publicly acknowledge her death and “stand where she died.”
He called Pritzker out for paying condolences to the ICE agent victims, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minnesota, “in the wake of another tragedy here in Chicago,” while referring to Gorman's fatal shooting.
He wrote, “Your public display of compassion elsewhere—while remaining silent about victims in your own state—feels deeply disconnected from the reality families like mine are living every day.”
The grieving parent further linked his criticism to broader policy debates, accusing state leadership of defending policies that he believes contribute to preventable violence.
He wrote, “This is not about politics. It’s about leadership and accountability.”
Abraham's father directly questions Pritzker, “Where is your acknowledgement of victims here in Illinois? And when will you take responsibility for the consequences of the policies you defend?”
