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College Student Shot Dead After Spotting Masked Gunman Hiding Near Pier | Crime House 24/7
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Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's Most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about and we're starting with the biggest one. An 18 year old college freshman steps outside her dorm to catch the northern lights with friends and is shot dead by a masked stranger hiding near the pier. This is crime house 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know.
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New details are emerging in the fatal shooting of a Loyola University Chicago freshman after a suspect was arrested over the weekend and appeared, or rather failed to appear in court Monday that susp 25 year old Jose Medina was not present for his detention hearing. He's reportedly hospitalized and under guard, being treated for tuberculosis. Prosecutors did still address the court laying out new details about the night of the shooting. At around 1:30 in the morning on Tuesday, March 19, 2026, 18 year old freshman Sheridan Gorman was out on the pier at Toby Prince beach in Rogers Park, a stretch of lakefront just a few blocks north of Loyola's Lakeshore campus. She was there with a group of the Gorman family's attorney said in a statement that they had left campus that night hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights over Lake Michigan. According to prosecutors, Gorman noticed someone hiding near the pier and alerted her friends. That's when the group started to run. As they fled, the person who'd been hiding opened fire. Gorman was shot in the back as she tried to get away and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her friends managed to take cover in the grassy area nearby and were not struck. No other injuries were reported. According to a police arrest report released by the Chicago Police Department Monday, the gunman was wearing black clothes and a black mask when he shot Gorman. Gorman was a first year student in Loyola's business school. She was from Yorktown Heights, New York, a suburb of New York City, and by all accounts was deeply embedded in campus life. Almost immediately after arriving, she was involved in religious groups on campus, participated in Bible study and was active in the Christian organization crew. In a statement, her family described her as someone with a rare ability to bring people together, to make others feel included, understood and loved. A GoFundMe started by members of her hometown community raised more than $150,000 as of Tuesday morning, with proceeds earmarked for memorials and a potential scholarship in her name. The manhunt didn't take long. Surveillance cameras in the area were able to track the shooter, described by witnesses and captured on video as a man dressed in all black, wearing a black face mask and walking a distinct limp and slow gait from the beach back to an apartment building on North Sheridan Road, roughly a block and a half from the scene. By the time the suspect returned to his building, he had removed his mask. The building's engineer identified him as a resident and investigators used facial recognition software to match lobby camera footage to U.S. customs and Border Protection records. The match came back as 25 year old Jose Medina. Police obtained a search warrant for Medina's apartment and recovered the clothing he had allegedly been wearing during the shooting, along with a.40 caliber handgun. Shell casings from the scene were matched to that weapon. Medina's mother also separately identified him as the gunman, according to prosecutors. He was taken into custody Friday night, March 20, just about a day after the shooting. One block from where Gorman was killed. The charges against Medina filed Sunday include one count of first degree murder, one count of attempted first degree murder, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one count of aggrav unlawful possession of a weapon. Prosecutors are seeking to have him held in jail without bond while he awaits trial For a couple of days after Gorman's killing, little information about the suspect was released to the public, Only that an unknown male offender had approached the group and fired. The department of homeland security has since said that Medina is a Venezuelan national who was apprehended by the u. S. Border patrol in May 2023 and subsequently released and remained in Chicago later that same year. In June 2023, he was arrested in Chicago on a retail theft charge. He was accused of taking $132 worth of merchandise from a macy's store on north state street. He was released on a personal recognizance bond as is standard practice with misdemeanor charges, but failed to appear in Court in August 2023, at which point a warrant was issued for his arrest. That warrant was still outstanding at the time of Gorman's killing. DHS has since filed an immigration detainer requesting that Medina not be released from cust, placed in their custody for potential deportation proceedings, Though local officials have indicated he must first face the felony charges in Chicago, Gorman's family, in a statement released through their attorney, called Medina's arrest a first step toward justice. They also addressed the circumstances that led to the night of March 19th. They said, quote, there was nothing reckless about her actions. There was nothing unusual about where she was. She left her dorm to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. She was exactly where she should have been, Close to campus, surrounded by friends, living her life. This cannot be just another case that fades from public attention. Sheridan's life mattered. What happened to her matters. And we will make sure she is not forgotten. End quote. Medina's due back in court on Friday, March 27, pending his release from the hospital. The case remains ongoing. From Chicago, we move across the Atlantic to Leicester, england, where a woman in England was simply walking home when a stranger's violence brought her life to to an end. On March 24, a jury's verdict caught up with 24 year old Chukuma Michael Ahanonu. He was sentenced to life in prison for a murder that began, of all things, with a car crash. It was the afternoon of June 24, 2025, and Ahanonu was behind the wheel of a BMW, driving erratically through Lester, England's city center. Witnesses and surveillance footage showed him swerving across lanes, running red lights and at one point driving toward bus stop where pedestrians were waiting. He was under the influence of cannabis and hours after the attack, a toxicology test found a THC level of 7.6 micrograms per milliliter in his system, well above the legal driving limit of 2 micrograms. He also had dealer bags of cannabis worth more than £3,000 in the car, along with three iPhones, all registered to him. The erratic drive ended near Leicester Royal Infirmary where Ahanonu's car overturned after striking a curb. Bystanders gathered and tried to help him get out of the vehicle. Ahanonu was uninjured. Instead of accepting help, he freed himself from the car and ran. Just a short distance from the crash scene, he encountered 56 year old Neela Patel. Patel had been on a bus traveling along that same road and having seen the collision, stepped off the bus at 5:33pm to walk the rest of the way home. She was on the phone with a friend at the time. Ahanonu grabbed her from behind, punched her in the face with enough force to knock her to the ground, and then continued to kick and stamp on her as she lay there. A doctor who arrived at the scene described the injuries as catastrophic. Security staff from Leicester Royal Infirmary, which was right there, ran out and along with other bystanders, eventually restrained Ahanonu until police arrived. Patel was taken to the hospital where she was found to have suffered a fractured skull and a serious brain injury. She died two days later. On June 26, 2025, Ahanonu, originally from Peckham in southeast London, was arrested at the scene. He was no stranger to the criminal justice system. Just under a year before the attack, he'd been released from prison on license after serving a two year sentence. That sentence stemmed from a September 2023 incident in which he was caught running a red light and found in possession of more than £1,000 in cash and a machete. When investigators interviewed Ahanonu and showed him surveillance footage of his dangerous driving and the attack itself, he claimed he had no memory of either. He said, quote, I don't remember even doing this, end quote. When told he had killed someone, he reportedly held his head in his hands and said, quote, oh my Lord, I don't remember killing anyone, end quote. At trial, Ahanonu pleaded guilty upfront to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and assaulting an emergency worker. He had bitten a female police officer following his arrest, but he denied murder and instead entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and arguing diminished responsibility on the grounds that his cannabis use had impaired his mental state. Prosecutors rejected that defense outright. Prosecutor Mary Pryor, KC Told jurors that voluntary intoxication is not a legal defense to murder, that an intoxicated intent is still an intent. The jury agreed and on March 23, after a month long trial at Leicester Crown Court, Ahanonu was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced on March 24 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years and 6 months. Ahanonu was unknown to Patel before the attack. In a statement, her children, Jaden and Anika Patel, described their mother as the heart of our family. Detective Inspector Emma Matz of Leicestershire Police echoed that. She said, quote, this was the most horrific, violent and random attack by a stranger on a kind, gentle and loving woman who was simply making her way home. End quote Neela Patel was killed by someone who had never met her a day in his life. But in our next story out of Texas, the victim's killer was someone she had known since the day he was born. These days I'm really focused on quality over quantity. I'm raising my standards, especially when it comes to my closet. If it's not well made and versatile, I just don't bother. That's why I love Quince. Their fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful and the pricing is surprisingly reasonable. They make wardrobe staples in 100% European linen, silk and organic cotton poplin. Their cotton cashmere sweaters are light, soft and perfect for layering this season and their spring colors gorgeous. Everything is designed to make getting dressed effortless. These are pieces built to last. Soft gauze that isn't flimsy, linen that holds its shape and stitching that really stands up over time. That cotton cashmere sweater I grabbed has become my daily go to light, luxe and exactly what I want. Stop waiting to build the wardrobe you actually want right now. Go to quint.com crimehousepod for free shipping and 365 day return returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to Q-U-I-N-C-E.com crimehousepod for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com crimehousepod Parle tu Francais hablas espanol? Parle italiano.
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As of March 24, 21 year old Rontrell Jackson is sitting in custody in a Texas jail charged with murdering his own GR mother over a money dispute. The alleged killing happened just days ago, and the details of what police say he did afterward are just as disturbing as the shooting itself. Officers with the Arlington Police Department responded to an apartment complex in the 1800 block of Carriage House Circle at around 4:40pm on Friday, March 20, after a family member discovered the victim lying unresponsive outside on her patio, covered with a blanket, and paramedics responded and determined the woman had been shot. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was Ron Trell's 68 year old grandmother, whose name has not yet been officially released pending notification by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. During their investigation, detectives identified Rontrell Jackson as a suspect. According to police, the two had recently gotten into what investigators described as a heated argument that led to the victim withholding Jackson's allowance money. In an interview with detectives, Jackson admitted to shooting his grandmother inside the apartment and then dragging her body to the patio. A firearm believed to be the murder weapon was recovered inside the apartment and detectives obtained a murder warrant for Jackson shortly after he was booked into the Arlington City Jail and has since been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail, where he's held on a $750,000 bond. He's charged with one count of murder and as of March 24, no court date has been set. And while this case is just getting started in the courts, our final story this morning is one that has fully run its course with decades of crimes, a landmark trial and now a death behind bars. In recent news that emerged publicly on Monday, March 23, Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortion doctor who was convicted of murder in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison, has died. He was 85. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Gosnell died on March 1 at a hospital outside the prison system. He had most recently been incarcerated at State Correctional Institution Smithfield in Huntington County. Gosnell spent decades as an abortion provider in West Philadelphia operating the Women's Medical Society clinic at 3801 Lancaster Avenue in February 2010, a raid by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia police uncovered what investig subsequent grand jury report described as deplorable and deeply unsanitary conditions fetal remains stored in jars and a freezer, blood stained furniture, dirty medical instruments and patients recovering in recliners covered in soiled blankets. Former employees testified that Gosnell routinely performed abortions past Pennsylvania's legal 24 week limit and that when babies were delivered still alive, moving, breathing or making sounds, Gosnell or his staff would infant's spinal cords with scissors, a practice he referred to as snipping. In May 2013, a jury convicted Gosnell on three counts of first degree murder for the deaths of three babies who had been born alive. He was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of 41 year old Karamaya Mongar, a Bhutani refugee who died from an aesthetics overdose during a procedure at the clinic. He was additionally found guilty of 21 felony counts of perform illegal late term abortions and 211 counts of violating Pennsylvania's 24 hour informed consent law. He agreed to waive his right to appeal in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. In a separate federal case later that year, he pleaded guilty on charges of illegally distributing oxycodone and other controlled substances through his clinic and received an additional 30 year sent. A cause of death has not been disclosed, though he had reportedly been in declining health in recent years. His death was first reported publicly on March 23 by journalists Anne McElhenney and Filim McAleer, who had extensively covered his trial and interviewed him in person. In the end, Kermit Gosnell died behind bars more than a decade into those life sentences.
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I'm criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward and on season nine of Mind of a Monster, we're bringing you the case of serial killer Michael Gargiulo. He either charms him because he needs
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him to do something, or he stalks
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him because he's gonna kill him. The repairman with Hollywood good looks who stalked and attacked his female name neighbors in their own homes. The jury was shown the photos from her apartment and it was just covered in blood. Listen to Mind of a Monster, the Hollywood Ripper Wherever you get your podcasts before you go, let me tell you what else is happening at Crime House. Today on Clues, we examine the murder of Ben Renick, a man who built his life around a highly specialized world, the breeding and selling of exotic snakes. It's a community most people will never encounter directly, but one with its own rules, relationships, and internal tensions. When Renick was found dead inside his facility, the investigation didn't just require standard police work. It required understanding the environment. He operated in a world where value, status, and identity were tied to something most outsiders barely understand. That's often the case with crimes like this. They don't happen in isolation, they happen inside systems, subcultures with their own logic, hierarchies, and pressures. And from the outside, those systems can be almost invisible until something goes wrong. Here are five murders that unfolded inside niche subcultures, worlds where the setting itself became part of the mystery. The Lululemon murder in 2011, a Lululemon store in Bethesda, Maryland, became the scene of a crime that initially baffled investigators. Two employees were found inside the store after hours, one dead and the other injured. The surviving employee, Brittany Norwood, told police that masked attackers had entered the store and carried brutal assault. At first, the story seemed plausible. Retail environments often have closing procedures that leave employees inside alone, and the idea of a robbery gone wrong fit the initial evidence. But as investigators began to Examine the scene more closely. Inconsistencies emerged. The violence appeared excessive for a typical break in. Certain details didn't align with Norwood's account. What ultimately unraveled the case was a deeper understanding of the workplace itself. Lululemon's retail cult placed a strong emphasis on performance, internal evaluation, and personal accountability. Norwood had been facing disciplinary action related to theft from the store, a detail that reframed the entire situation. The crime wasn't the result of an outside intrusion. It was internal. And until investigators understood the dynamics of that environment, the pressures, the expectations, the stakes, the true motive remained hidden. Jam Master J In 2002, Jason Meisel, known as Jam Master J of Run DMC, was shot and killed inside his recording studio in Queens, New York. The case immediately drew national attention, but for years it remained unsolved. From the outside, the setting seemed controlled. A private studio, a known group of associates. Not the kind of place where a random act of violence would occur without explanation. But that was part of the problem. The hip hop industry, particularly at that level, operates within tight knit networks where business, reputation and personal relationships are deeply intertwined. Information doesn't always move freely, especially when it involves people within the same circles. Investigators faced a wall of silence. Witnesses were present, but accounts were limited or withheld. It took nearly two decades before charges were brought against suspects tied to the crime. The delay wasn't due to a lack of interest. It was due to the nature of the subculture itself. A world where loyalty, fear, and reputation can shape what people are willing to say, even in the face of violence. The Dog Breeding and Fighting Circuit in several cases across the United States, murders have been linked to underground dog breeding and fighting operations, a subculture that exists largely out of public view. These networks are often tightly controlled, with participants bound by shared financial interests and the need for secrecy. One such case involved a dispute between individuals connected to illegal breeding operations, where disagreements over money, ownership and reputation escalated into violence. The environments where these activities take place, rural properties, private compounds, temporary setups are often isolated and difficult to monitor. For investigators, the challenge goes beyond identifying suspects. It requires understanding a system where the rules are informal, enforcement is internal, and outsiders are rarely trusted. Witnesses may be reluctant to cooperate, not just out of fear of legal consequences, but because of their position within the network itself. In these cases, the crime is only one layer. Beneath it is an entire structure of relationships and incentives that must be mapped before the full picture becomes clear. The Silicon Valley social circle in 2023, the killing of tech executive Bob Lee drew attention not just because of who he was. But where? The crime occurred within highly interconnected social and professional network in San Francisco's tech community. At first, speculation focused on random violence. But as the investigation developed, it became clear that the case was rooted in personal relationships within a relatively small and overlapping circle of individuals tied to the tech industry. What makes this kind of environment significant is its density. Founders, investors, developers, and executives often move within the same social spaces, attend the same events, and maintain maintain both professional and personal connections. Conflicts, when they arise, are rarely isolated. Investigators had to look beyond the public Persona of the victim and examine the private network surrounding him. In doing so, the case shifted from a broad citywide mystery to a focused examination of a specific community. The crime didn't happen randomly within the city. It happened within a defined ecosystem, one that had to be understood understood before it could be explained. The bodybuilding subculture in 2005, professional bodybuilder Marcus Rule was not involved in a murder. But the broader bodybuilding world has seen multiple cases where violence has emerged from within its ranks. One notable case involved Craig Titus, a professional bodybuilder, and his wife, Kelly Ryan, who were convicted in connection with the murder of their assistant. The bodybuilding subculture is built around discipline, physical transformation, and in some cases, the use of performance enhancing substances. It's also a world where identity is closely tied to appearance, reputation, and competitive success. In the Titus case, the environment surrounding the couple, including drug use, financial stress, and personal conflict, played a significant role in the events that unfolded. The crime itself did not happen in a vacuum. It was connected to the pressures and dynamics of the lifestyle they were part of. For investigators, understanding that context was critical. Critical. Without it, the motivations behind the crime might have seemed arbitrary. With it, the pieces began to fit together in a more coherent way. Crimes that occur within niche subcultures often present a unique challenge. From the outside, these environments can seem opaque or difficult to interpret. The rules aren't always written down, the relationships aren't always visible, and the significance of certain actions or conflicts may not be immediately obvious. In many cases, investigators have to learn the structure of the subculture itself before they can understand the crime. Who holds influence? What carries value? What conflicts matter? Without that context, key details can be overlooked or misunderstood. These cases aren't just about individuals. They're about the systems those individuals exist within and how those systems shape behavior in ways that aren't always visible from the outside. The murder of Ben Renick didn't just happen in a building filled with exotic animals. It happened within a world defined by expertise, competition, and relationships that extended far beyond what most people ever see. For the full story behind the investigation and the clues that ultimately revealed what happened, listen to today's episode of Clues. Because sometimes to understand a crime, you first have to understand the world it came from. You've been listening to crime house 247 bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
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The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I said stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.
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Thanks for listening to today's episode. Not sure what to listen to next? Check out America's Most Infamous Crimes, hosted by Katie Ring. From C serial killers to unsolved mysteries and game changing investigations, each week Katie takes on a notorious criminal case in American history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous crimes now. Wherever you listen to podcasts.