John Shadbar, 72, of plead guilty Wednesday in Will County court to charges of attempted first-degree murder and a hate crime for the May 2024 shooting of his Lockport Heights neighbor.

Following the plea agreement, Shadbar was sentenced by Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak to 20 years in prison for the murder charge. At least 85% of the sentence must be served before he could be released, according to the plea agreement.

Shadbar will concurrently serve a three-year sentence for the hate crime charge.

If released, Shadbar would also serve three years of mandatory probation. He does get credit for 631 days of time served.

Additional charges of aggravated battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card, three charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and criminal damage to property were dismissed.

The state also opted not to use the firearm enhancement on the attempted murder charge in the plea agreement.

On the afternoon of May 7, 2024, Shadbar, who is white, shot Melissa Robertson, who is also white, after she sounded an airhorn in response to his loudly revving his motorcycle engine in his driveway in the Lockport Heights neighborhood of unincorporated Lockport Township, prosecutors said.

Robertson and several neighbors reported that Shadbar had regularly harassed and threatened Robertson and her sons, who are Black, including by using racist and sexist slurs, and throwing M-80 style fireworks over their fence, prosecutors said.

Before going to get the rifle he used to shoot Robertson, Shadbar threatened to kill the family with the use of racial slurs, prosecutors said.

Robertson sent her son Amar, who was 7 at the time, inside with friends who were visiting the home before Shadbar returned and shot her, prosecutors said.

Robertson was in a coma for nine days following the shooting and said she has sustained permanent physical and psychological injuries from the shooting.

“I’m glad it’s all over,” said Robertson after the proceedings. “If it had to happen, this is the best outcome. He put me through the worst time of my life. [The sentence] is a lot, but he came over with the intention of a massacre.”

Robertson and her aunt, Jeanne Beyer, who has acted as the family spokesperson and cared for Robertson and her son in the aftermath of the shooting, said they are satisfied with the outcome.

“It’s a good feeling when justice works the way it’s supposed to,” Robertson said. “I’m ready to start a new part of my life.”