Chicago man sentenced to 24 years for Villa Park amusement park shooting
A Chicago man has been sentenced to twenty-four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after being found guilty of shooting another man at an indoor amusement park in Villa Park in 2021. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that Meco Norris, 30, was convicted on three counts of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm following a four-day bench trial before Judge Joseph Bugos.
The incident took place on November 13, 2021, at Safari Land amusement park located at 701 W. North Avenue, Villa Park. Authorities reported that Norris and the victim were attending a birthday party when Norris shot the victim three times—in the right chest, right shoulder, and right arm. The shooting occurred in front of children and their parents at the crowded venue.
After firing the shots, Norris fled and hid the firearm in a nearby residential neighborhood. He was arrested the next day at his residence in Chicago. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since recovered from his injuries.
"On a Saturday night in November 2021, terror erupted at a crowded family friendly amusement park when Meco Norris pulled out his gun and shot a man three times in front of dozens of children and their parents," Berlin said. "In my thirty-eight years as a prosecutor, Mr. Norris’ actions are among the most egregious displays of disregard for public safety I have ever seen. With dozens of young children just feet away, I shudder to think of the potential loss of life Mr. Norris’ actions could have caused. We are all extremely grateful that Mr. Norris’ victim has since recovered from his injuries. I commend Chief of my office’s Criminal Prosecutions Bureau Lee Roupas and Assistant State’s Attorneys Nicole Wilkes-English and Nicholas Covert for their outstanding work that led to today’s twenty-four-year sentence."
Judge Bugos imposed eight-year sentences for each count against Norris, to be served consecutively as required by law. This results in a total sentence of twenty-four years; Norris must serve 85% before he is eligible for parole.
DuPage County is home to many schools serving families like those affected by this incident. In the 2022-23 school year, there were approximately 142,363 students enrolled across county schools with an average student-to-teacher ratio of about thirteen-to-one according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). The same period saw teacher absenteeism rates reach over thirty-eight percent locally—higher than state averages (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).
The sentencing highlights concerns about public safety incidents occurring near spaces frequently used by families and children throughout DuPage County.