JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 23-year-old Springfield man has been found fit to stand trial during a fitness hearing Thursday in Jefferson County.

Shonn Bacon was arrested in January and charged with being an armed habitual criminal and aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon.

Both charges are Class X felonies punishable by between 6 and 30 years each if convicted.

Bacon is accused of carjacking an occupied vehicle in the Arby’s parking lot in Mt. Vernon still armed with a handgun reportedly used during armed altercation inside Applebee’s moments earlier.

Mt. Vernon police, who were enroute for the Applebee’s call entered a brief foot pursuit with Bacon who exited the hijacked vehicle upon their arrival.

After initially refusing to drop his weapon, Bacon eventually complied but resisted arrest before being taken into custody.

It was determined at that time that he was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections stemming from a 2015 conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Sangamon County.

Bacon initially indicated he would hire a private attorney for the Jefferson County case but instead proceeded pro-se. He eventually asked the court appoint him an attorney as the state announced it was prepared to take the case to trial.
Following multiple delays, the case is now scheduled for an October 16, jury trial.