grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He relocated to the local area after graduating high school as his parents retired to Central Florida. Shawn later served in the U.S. Marine Corps for seven years on active duty. He deployed overseas several times, which included a tour to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In 2005, Shawn began his law enforcement career with the Lake County Sheriff's Office after graduating from the Institute of Public Safety in Tavares. He had the opportunity to work with various agency units, including Uniform Patrol, School Resource, Street Crimes, Training, and Narcotics. Shawn was a member of the Sheriff's SWAT team from 2006-2021. He was on the Sniper Team for several years and concluded his tenure with SWAT as an assistant team commander.

Shawn serves as a board member for the Kiwanis Club of Mount Dora and Hand in Hand, Lake County. Shawn is a graduate of Leadership Lake County (Class of 2020) and a life member of both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Shawn resides in Mount Dora and has two children, Jacob and Kaitlin. Jacob attends Round Lake Elementary, and Kaitlin has contracted to be an officer in the U.S. Army once she graduates nursing school at the University of West Florida.