Hanover Park shooter referred to boot camp

A Hanover Park teen who opened fire on a passing car, striking a man in the hip and buttocks, could avoid prison if he's accepted into boot camp.

Miangelo Roberts, 19, of the 1700 block of McCormick Lane, pleaded guilty Wednesday to reduced charges of aggravated battery and unlawful possession of a firearm. In exchange for the plea, DuPage County Judge George Bakalis sentenced him to six years in prison with a referral to boot camp.

Roberts was a senior at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream when he shot a .357 handgun into a car outside a May 2010 party in Hanover Park. The teen opened fire because he believed the car's occupants were responsible for an earlier fight involving his brother, Assistant State's Attorney Steve Knight said.

The victim was treated at a Glendale Heights hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. Roberts later led police to the weapon stashed in his home and confessed to the shooting.

Roberts will spend 120 days in boot camp if the Illinois Department of Corrections accepts him into the program. If he is not accepted, or is kicked out for some reason, he would be sent to prison to begin serving the six-year term, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney John Casey said Roberts, who had no prior criminal history, finished high school with honors and had continued success at College of DuPage, even as his case was pending.

“He's a straight-A student, even at COD,” Casey said. “Boot camp was made for someone like him, and I think he'll be successful at it.”