Dutch Commando, 26, Dies After Indianapolis Shooting

2 of his colleagues are still hospitalized
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 28, 2022 3:10 PM CDT
Updated Aug 29, 2022 12:48 PM CDT
3 Dutch Soldiers in US to Train Are Shot at Hotel
Downtown Indianapolis   (Getty/Aneese)

Update: One of three Dutch soldiers shot outside a hotel in Indianapolis early Saturday has died. His family and colleagues were at his side, the Netherlands Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday. The ministry said the man's injured colleages, who were listed in critical but stable condition Sunday, "are conscious and able to speak." The Marion County Coroner's Office identified the soldier as 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema, the Indianapolis Star reports. The special operations soldiers, who were in the US for training, were off-duty when the shooting occurred. No arrests have been made. Our story from Sunday follows:

Three Dutch soldiers in the US for training were shot outside their hotel in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday. The men were shot about 3:30am in the city's entertainment district, after a conflict with others, outside the hotel where they were staying on a day off, WXIN reports. "It is not something that occurred inside the hotel," police Maj. Joshua Gisi said. "It was a previous altercation, we believe, at another location." All three were hospitalized, per the Indianapolis Star.

The Defense Department identified the men as members of the Netherlands' Commando Corps, a special army unit. They were undergoing training in southern Indiana, at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, which also trains troops from other NATO allies. White House and Defense Department officials are involved in the investigation, said US Rep. Andre Carson. No arrests have been made, per the Guardian, and police said they have no suspects. (More Indianapolis stories.)

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