Illinois suspends Terrence Shannon Jr. after arrest warrant issued for rape charge

Illinois men’s basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended by the team after charges of rape were brought against him.

A warrant was issued for Shannon’s arrest from the Douglas County District Attorney in Kansas. According to local reporter Dante J Furco, who had a screenshot of the Illinois press release, Shannon has reported to Douglas County as of Thursday. Here was the tweet including that info:

(You can view the full statement further below)

🚨🚨BREAKING: #Illini Terrence Shannon Jr suspended. There was a warrant out for his arrest in Douglas County.
Shannon Jr reported to Douglas County today🚨🚨#Illinois pic.twitter.com/8iznz5z9vc

— Dante J Furco (@DanteFurco) December 28, 2023

Illinois knew about investigation

A newspaper in the Champaign area, the The News-Gazette, noted that the school has known of the investigation into Shannon for some time, but hadn’t received enough reason to take action until charges were brought this week.

“The DIA and university officials have been aware of a Lawrence police investigation into Shannon since late September but, until Wednesday, had yet to receive actionable information. Shannon’s arrest triggers the DIA student-athlete misconduct policy. Any change to Shannon’s status will be communicated in a timely manner.”

The News-Gazette also provided a statement from Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman explaining the process of handling situations like this:

“The University and DIA have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations. We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties.”

Full Illinois Statement on Shannon

Here was the full release from Illinois on Terrence Shannon:

“CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– On Wednesday, the Douglas (Kansas) County District Attorney issued a warrant for the arrest of Terrence Shannon Jr. Per policy, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) has suspended Shannon from all team activities, effective immediately.

“Shannon is charged with rape, as defined under applicable Kansas law. The alleged incident occurred while Shannon visited Lawrence, Kansas, to attend the Illinois at Kansas football game, played on the evening of Friday, Sept. 8, as a spectator. He was not in Lawrence on official University business, nor was he a member of the University’s travel party.

“Shannon traveled to Lawrence today, where he presented himself to authorities. He posted bail and is returning to Champaign.

“The University and DIA take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously while respecting due process and the presumption of innocence afforded through the legal system.”

Shannon was on-pace for All-Big Ten and potential All-American honors in his final year of college ball. He was averaging 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before the suspension.