Cass County (trfnews.i234.me) — Jaiden Pickett, a former North Dakota State University football player, has been sentenced to three years in prison for firing a gun into an occupied home near campus. Pickett, 20, entered an Alford plea, acknowledging enough evidence for conviction while maintaining his innocence.
The incident occurred on Sept. 8 after a confrontation at a party involving fellow NDSU athletes. Prosecutors said Pickett pushed a gun into a track athlete’s chest, then pointed it at a house and fired. The gun involved, a Beretta Px4 Storm, allegedly discharged when Pickett tried to decock it [1].
The judge said Pickett brought the gun to prove he was “the toughest guy”, rejecting claims of self-defense or an accident. The court credited Pickett with 198 days served, with the remaining sentence to be carried out in prison.
Pickett had aspirations to continue playing football in Iowa but now faces a felony record.
TRF News will continue covering this developing story.
Did you know?
Despite being a promising college athlete, Pickett’s case is now part of growing concerns over gun violence involving young adults in the Fargo area.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.