A Chicago man admitted Tuesday that he shot another man in the legs during an argument while in a McHenry apartment in 2023 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Michael D. Harris, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a Class X felony. He is required to serve 85% of his prison time followed by three years of mandatory supervised release. He is receiving credit for 826 days in McHenry County jail, Judge Tiffany Davis said.

At about 10:30 a.m. on May 16, 2023, Harris had a verbal altercation with a man in an apartment in McHenry and shot him in the legs. Authorities said he then fled in a red truck, which was later traced back to him, and was later identified in a photo line up. In a police interview, he admitted to being involved in a shooting in McHenry, Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Neubauer said during Tuesday’s hearing.

After sentencing Harris, Davis noted the work Harris had done while in custody and told him that she gets the impression that he is a leader and she hopes that while in prison, “a dark and miserable place,” he can be a “positive influence on the younger men in there.”

“I’ll be praying for you,” Davis said. “God bless you.”

In exchange for his guilty plea, additional charges, including attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony, and a case from 2022 charging Harris with illegally possessing marijuana were dismissed, records show. He was out of jail awaiting trial for the unrelated marijuana charges at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.

Davis said that with truth-in-sentencing laws and credit for time served, Harris will serve about eight years and six months in prison if he does not commit any violations. He also may get credit for 30 days of self improvement while in the jail, but that will ultimately be up to the discretion of the Illinois Department of Corrections, she said.