"He put the public safety of Canadians at risk," said federal prosecutor Michael Robb. "This is an extremely serious offence."
Hardy was in custody 86 days. Robb said the sentence might be perceived as harsh, but said Americans should be made aware of Canadian gun penalties. Canada Border Services Agency officers found a loaded .22-calibre semi-automatic pistol in a case under the passenger seat of Hardy's vehicle as he entered Canada July 18 at the Blue Water Bridge.
Yeah, no criminal record, gun cased under the seat. Sure sounds risky to me. For Hardy.
But it is what it is, and we need to understand the consequences of carelessness or defiance, do what we can to avoid the first, and approach the second seriously and with as many precautions as we can.