BRADLEY – Illinois State Police have arrested the registered owner of a gun used to shoot and kill Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic.
On Thursday, Illinois State Police arrested 23-year-old Jaron M. Shannon of Kankakee on multiple felony charges including two counts of Unlawful Sale of a Firearm, one count of Unlawful Purchase of a Firearm, and ten counts of Failure to Maintain Records of a Firearm Sale.
Shannon is being held on $500,000 bond at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee.
“Earlier today we charged Jaron Shannon as a ‘straw-purchaser’ of no fewer than 2 firearms and with unlawfully transferring no fewer than 10 firearms,” Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe said in a statement Friday afternoon.. “We know all too well the consequences of firearms falling into the hands of those who should not possess them; in fact, many of the firearms purchased by Jaron Shannon have been used by others in the commission of a crime, including a juvenile offender. One of the firearms is alleged to have been used in the murder of Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and attempt murder of Bradley Police Officer Tyler Bailey. I thank the Illinois State Police for continuing to pursue every lead and every offender connected to those tragic events.”
Shannon now becomes the 8th person charged in the death of Officer Rittmanic.
Rittmanic was killed December 29th 2021 when responding to a call to the Bradley Comfort Inn for dogs barking in an unattended vehicle. Officer Tyler Bailey was critically injured during the call. Darius Sullivan and Xandria Harris were subsequently arrested for First Degree Murder.
