Former North Dakota State football player lands 3 years in prison for accidentally shooting a gun in a house

I am not sure this makes sense. A former North Dakota State football player was sentenced to three years in prison for accidentally shooting a gun inside a home.

Cass County Judge Tristan Van de Streek handed down the sentence on Monday, March 24, to 20-year-old Jaiden Pickett, of Milwaukee. The former linebacker pleaded guilty by way of an Alford plea to two counts of terrorizing and one charge of reckless endangerment, all of which are felonies, immediately before being sentenced.

An Alford plea means Pickett can maintain his innocence but acknowledges enough evidence exists to secure a conviction. 

According to police reports, witnesses told police that Logan Mathieu, an NDSU junior from Eagle River, Alaska, who does hurdles for the Bison men’s track and field team, got into a “physical altercation/argument” with Pickett and his football teammate, William Frattalone, on the boulevard, according to an incident report. Frattalone is a redshirt freshman from Wayzata, Minnesota. He is a cornerback but had not played yet for the Bison.

Pickett pulled a Beretta Px4 Storm 9 mm handgun from his waistband and fired it into the house, the incident report said. The single bullet nearly hit another NDSU athlete inside the house.

No one was injured in the shooting, and Pickett claims it was accidental discharge.

Pickett was considered a highly regarded recruit who also had offers from Illinois State, North Dakota, Northern Iowa and South Dakota State.

Three years in prison for this offense is insane, because I am not sure how he was given three years. Was it right no, but this is a little much I think, his life is ruined. He was given an Alford Plea, but still has to do three years? Come on, this is ridiculous. A black football player given three years for a gun discharge.