Terrence Shannon Jr. — the superstar guard for the No. 11-ranked Illinois men’s basketball program — has been arrested by police, charged with rape and suspended by the university from all team activities, according to a Thursday announcement from the school, ESPN reported.
The Douglas County district attorney’s office in Kansas issued an arrest warrant for Shannon on Wednesday in relation to an alleged sexual assault that took place in September. Shannon turned himself into police and was placed under arrest Thursday morning in Lawrence. He was charged with “rape; sexual intercourse without consent and use of force,” according to the outlet. (RELATED: Former US Senator And Milwaukee Bucks Owner Herb Kohl Dead At 88)
In a statement, the university said that the alleged crime happened in Lawrence when Shannon was attending the football game between Illinois and Kansas. The college also clarified that Shannon was “not in Lawrence on official University business, nor was he a member of the University’s travel party,” according to ESPN.
#Illini All-American candidate Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended from the team after being charged with rape pic.twitter.com/dZyPilhYej
— Derek Piper (@DPiper247) December 28, 2023
After posting $50,000 in bail on Thursday, Shannon is now out of jail and headed back to Champaign, Illinois, according to the university. Mark P. Sutter, the Illinois-based attorney representing Shannon, stated that his client is not guilty and plans on going to trial, ESPN reported.
Illinois officials say they’ve known about the police investigation into Shannon since September but did not get any “actionable information” until Wednesday — the same day the arrest warrant was issued, according to the outlet.