Gunplay on Six Nations lands man in prison

Playing with guns landed a local man in prison when he and friends were caught target shooting on Six Nations.

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“You’re well on your way to being institutionalized,” Justice Robert Gee warned Petar Kunic, 23, who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm despite a lifetime prohibition order, having an unauthorized firearm and possession of a gun without holding a license.

“Any time you go anywhere near firearms for the rest of your life, you’re going to end up in the penitentiary. That’s the bottom line.”

When police got reports of guns being fired by a group of young men on an Indian Line Road property on Feb. 11 this year, they went to investigate, but not before concerned neighbors stopped the party.

Two neighbors, who were clearing a nearby driveway at about 4 pm, told police they heard both the shots and the sound of rounds striking trees near them, breaking twigs and branches.

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They confronted three men who were target shooting and challenged them about their unsafe actions, taking a Taurus handgun from them and throwing it in a vehicle until police arrived,

Kunic first denied shooting the gun and a check revealed he was on a lifetime prohibition about owning or having firearms and weapons.

A second man told police they had all been taking turns shooting the gun and a third man ran away.

Kunic couldn’t leave because his vehicle was stuck in the mud at the back of the property.

Police sealed his car and, after getting a warrant to search it, found a Ruger handgun in the locked glove box, along with an illegal magazine with a capacity for 20 rounds.

During sentencing, Kunic’s lawyer said her client just wanted to be sentenced with enough time to warrant incarceration in a federal prison rather than a provincial jail as his 200 days awaiting trial had been very tough.

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“He’s made a few bad decisions as a youth and made some friends he probably shouldn’t have,” said Julianne Jakobek.

The judge agreed with a deal for three years less the time Kunic had already served, sending him to prison for the first time.

“You seem to have this fascination with firearms that is only going to see you spending more and more time in the penitentiary,” said Gee.

“Firearms like this, realistically, have no useful purpose in the hands of people like you and your friends so you shouldn’t be surprised this is going to be the outcome.”

Charges against the second man at the scene were withdrawn in October.

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