A former Villa Park resident who, as a juvenile, wounded two men in a 2015 shooting incident was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison.
Before the sentencing at the DuPage County courthouse, Bruce Berrier, 19, told Judge Brian Telander that he made a mistake, but had worked while in custody to better himself and had taken some college courses.
“Everybody messes up at least once in their life,” he said.
Berrier was 16 on Nov. 24, 2015, when he opened fire on the two men in the 900 block of West North Avenue in Villa Park. One was struck in the leg and the other was hit in the abdomen, but both recovered.
Berrier was charged as an adult. His case went to trial, but midway through, he and prosecutors agreed to a negotiated plea in which Berrier would plead guilty to an aggravated discharge of a firearm charge. The felony carries a four- to 15-year prison term, but prosecutors, as part of the plea, agreed to cap their sentencing recommendation at 10 years.
The two victims testified at the bench trial that they thought there was a party in the area, testimony that the judge said Thursday he viewed suspiciously. The men, reputed gang members, were likely “up to no good,” Telander said.
“But you can’t pull out a gun and shoot at them,” he told Berrier.
The Rev. Maureen O’Connor of Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard said she had known Berrier and his family, and that he had endured a difficult childhood, which included periods of homelessness.
Berrier earned high marks while incarcerated at the juvenile detention facility in Kane County, which services DuPage juvenile offenders. Pamela Ely, the facility’s program manager, described Berrier as an “exemplary resident.”
His attorney, Ricardo Bird, asked for a minimum sentence.
“At the time this happened, Bruce was a different kid,” Bird said.
Under the terms of the sentence, Berrier must serve 85 percent of his term, but he has been in custody more than two years. He could be paroled in just under two years.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.
