February 18, 2026
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a former Chicago man has been sentenced to twenty-four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for shooting another man at an indoor amusement park in Villa Park in 2021. On December 11, 2025, following a four-day bench trial which concluded on November 24, 2025, Judge Joseph Bugos found Meco Norris, 30 (d.o.b. 12/26/1995) guilty of three counts of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm that resulted in severe bodily injury to the victim, each count a Class X Felony requiring mandatory consecutive sentencing by law. On November 15, 2021, Norris appeared in Bond Court where the Court set bond at $1 million with 10% to apply. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.
On November 13, 2021, at approximately 6:56 p.m. the Villa Park Police Department and neighboring law enforcement agencies responded to a call of shots fired at Safari Land amusement park located at 701 W. North Avenue, Villa Park. Following an investigation into the shooting, authorities learned that Norris and his victim were both at Safari Land for a birthday party when Norris pulled out a handgun and shot the victim three times, once in the right chest, once in the right shoulder and once in the right arm. Following the shooting, Norris fled the scene and concealed the firearm in a residential neighborhood behind Safari Land. He was taken into custody the following day from his Chicago residence. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he received treatment for 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 sentenced Norris to eight years in the IDOC on each of the three counts to be served consecutively, resulting in the twenty-four-year sentence. Norris must serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
