Dutch Commando Shot Dead In US, Two Others Injured
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
INDIANAPOLIS/THE HAGUE (Worthy News) — One of three Dutch commandos, who were in the U.S. for training, has died after he and the others were shot outside a hotel in the U.S. city of Indianapolis while off duty, the Dutch defense ministry confirmed Monday.
Mayor Joe Hogsett said the three men were shot from a passing car after an altercation in a bar. The shootings occurred at around 03:30 local time Saturday in the city’s entertainment district.
Indianapolis police said officers found the three men from the Netherlands, a NATO military alliance ally, with gunshot wounds, and they were taken to nearby hospitals.
The Dutch defense ministry had explained that one of the men was in a critical condition and that the other two were conscious.
The killed soldier was 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema, according to the Indianapolis coroner’s office, which investigates local deaths.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, which safeguards the security of the country and Dutch interests further afield, arrived in the U.S. to investigate the case.
Dutch officials said all three were members of the Commando Corps, one of the special operations units in the Netherlands armed forces.
The shooting happened during their free time in front of the hotel where they were staying, the ministry added.
This weekend’s attack overshadowed ongoing international military exercises in the U.S. state of Indiana and underscored broader concerns about persistent gun violence in the country.
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