A Chicago man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the heartbreaking killing of a 9-year-old girl who was shot and killed outside her family’s home after going to get ice cream with her father.
Michael Goodman was sentenced Thursday, November 5, 2026, after pleading guilty to the murder of 9-year-old Serabi Medina, who lost her life in a shooting that shocked the Portage Park community in August 2023.
The shooting happened on August 5, 2023, in the 3500 block of North Long Avenue in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood.
According to prosecutors, Serabi had been outside with her father that evening, riding her scooter and enjoying ice cream from a nearby truck.
Her father was speaking with friends when someone gave Serabi money to purchase ice cream. The little girl reportedly bought ice cream for herself and her father before heading back toward their apartment building.
Prosecutors said a gunshot was heard coming from Goodman’s apartment. Serabi’s father told her to take her scooter and head inside.
That’s when Goodman allegedly walked out of his apartment building carrying a 9mm handgun.
According to prosecutors, Goodman approached Serabi and followed her toward the vestibule of her family’s apartment building. Despite her father’s attempts to get his attention, Goodman allegedly raised his firearm and shot the young girl in the head.
Serabi’s father immediately rushed toward Goodman and tackled him in an attempt to stop the attack. During the struggle, the gun discharged again, striking Goodman in the eye.
Serabi was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The little girl’s death left her family and neighbors devastated, with many struggling to understand how a child could lose her life during such an ordinary moment.
Following the shooting, Goodman was charged with first-degree murder and remained in custody while the case moved through the court system.
The case took an emotional toll on Serabi’s relatives, who faced the difficult decision of going through a lengthy trial and hearing the details of her final moments all over again.
Goodman ultimately accepted a plea agreement in October 2026, agreeing to serve 40 years behind bars in exchange for pleading guilty to the killing.
On Thursday, November 5, a Cook County judge formally sentenced the 46-year-old to 40 years in prison. The sentence must be served at 100%, meaning Goodman will not be eligible for parole.
Serabi’s cousin, Jaleesa Medina, previously spoke about the family’s pain and their desire to see Goodman held accountable.
Goodman had also reportedly written the family a letter from jail attempting to explain his drug use and mental state at the time of the shooting.
Serabi’s death was especially heartbreaking for her family because she had already experienced the loss of her mother, Blanca Miranda, who was shot and killed in 2018.
The young girl was remembered by relatives and neighbors as a happy, outgoing child who loved spending time with her family.
Her killing also left residents throughout Portage Park shaken, with neighbors expressing concerns about allowing their own children to play outside following the tragedy.
More than three years after the shooting, the sentencing brings a major development in a case that devastated the Medina family.
Video Credit: WGNTV.com
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