1 Dutch Soldier Dead As 2 More Sustain Gunshot Wounds In Shooting Outside Indianapolis Hotel

Three Dutch soldiers were gunned down early Saturday in downtown Indianapolis outside the hotel they were staying in. Authorities said the shooting took place around 3:30 a.m. in an area near several bars and nightclubs. Police responded to a call from the Hampton Inn about a disturbance and upon arriving at the scene, found the three men with sustained gunshot wounds.

The soldiers were in town for some training. They were shot at the end of their duty day while enjoying some free time. The Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement that the soldiers belong to the Dutch Commando Corps that were sent to participate in exercises at the 1,000-acre complex of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indianapolis. The complex is currently being utilized by the Department of Defense which also welcomes other allied countries to use the facility.

Indianapolis authorities said the soldiers were taken to area hospitals which earlier listed one of the men in critical condition and the two others said to be in stable condition. However, AP News reported that one of the soldiers did not survive his injuries and died. The Marion County Coroner’s office identified the soldier as 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema. Not much information about his death was released to the media other than that his two fellow soldiers sustained non-life threatening injuries and were conscious the entire time.

The shooting is still under investigation, but local cops said that they believe the incident stemmed from a possible altercation between the soldiers and another individual or group. No arrests have been made pending investigation. Meanwhile, city cops said they are working closely with U.S. and Dutch agencies to coordinate with the victims’ family members to fly them to Indianapolis and return them home to the Netherlands together.

The agencies are working with detectives to identify those who are involved in the shooting but are keeping mum on the release of “certain investigative information” which could negatively affect their ability to obtain justice in the case. In a new release, detectives said preliminary investigations have led them to believe the incident was not a random act and declared that there is no immediate threat to the local area.