Quincy woman facing robbery charge in connection to October shooting tells attorney she plans to accept plea offer

QUINCY — A Quincy woman facing robbery charges in connection to the October shooting death of a teenage girl told her attorney Friday morning she will accept the terms of a negotiated plea.

Fallon M. Gillum, 20, of Quincy was in Adams County Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing before Judge Scott Larson. Her attorney is special appointed public defender Casey Schnack of the Schnack Law Office, but her father, Drew Schnack, made an appearance in her absence on Friday.

Drew Schnack told Larson that negotiations were ongoing, but there was a “strong likelihood” Gillum would take a plea offered by the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office. He then turned to Gillum and asked if she would take the offer, and she said she would. 

Drew Schnack said the plea offer was for Gillum to accept an 18-month sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. However, he did not say which offense(s) Gillum would be pleading guilty to. She has been charged with:

• Conspiracy to commit armed robbery, a Class 1 felony;
• Conspiracy to commit robbery, a Class 3 felony;
• Attempted armed robbery, a Class 1 felony; and 
• Attempted robbery, a Class 3 felony. 

Gillum is expected to enter her plea during a status hearing on Jan. 31 before Judge Robert Adrian.

Gillum’s case was set to go to trial on Feb. 5, but Larson removed it from the February jury docket.

Tristian L. Johnson, 23, of Quincy also made an appearance before Larson with his special appointed public defender, former Adams County State’s Attorney Barney Bier. He faces the same charges as Gillum.

Johnson’s case was continued until Jan. 31, and it also was removed from the February jury docket. Larson placed the case on the March jury docket.

Both defendants were arrested Nov. 17. 

If found guilty, Johnson and Gillum could face sentences for between four and 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Class 1 felonies and sentences of between two and five in the Illinois DOC for the Class 3 felonies.

Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones previously said Mackenzie Bullard, 16, was shot in the head and killed as the result of an armed robbery during which a group of adults and juveniles allegedly conspired to steal a gun. Bullard, a student in the Quincy School District, was found dead in the early morning of Oct. 11 in a home on the 400 block of Scenic Drive.