Police have arrested a man in connection to the Saturday morning shooting of three Dutch soldiers outside of a Hampton Inn hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The alleged perpetrator, 22-year-old Shamar Duncan of Indianapolis, was taken into custody Tuesday after one soldier succumbed to his injuries Sunday night, according to a press release from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). The soldier had been admitted to the hospital under critical condition, the release stated.
Authorities charged Duncan with one count of murder, one count of disorderly conduct and two additional charges of attempted murder, ABC reported Thursday.
We just got the booking photo for Shamar Duncan. He’s charged in the killing of 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema last weekend. Poetsema was a Dutch special forces soldier who was in Indiana for training. Two of Poetsema’s fellow soldiers were also shot but survived. pic.twitter.com/z2RZtFudpl
— Max Lewis (@MaxLewisTV) September 1, 2022
Duncan reportedly attacked the three soldiers just before 4 a.m. outside of the hotel, CNN reported. Police arrived on the scene and found the men, all members of the Dutch Commando Corps, suffering from gunshot wounds.
The deceased was later identified as 26-year-old corporal of the 1st class Simmie Poetsema, the Dutch Ministry of Defense stated. His corpse and the other two injured soldiers will return to the Netherlands in the early days of September, the outlet noted. (RELATED: NYC ‘Duck Sauce Killer’ Claims Innocence In Suicide Note)
BREAKING: Indianapolis Metro Police announce an arrest in the shooting death of a Dutch soldier in downtown Indianapolis over the weekend. The suspect is identified as Shamar Duncan, 22. Meantime, the Dutch minister of defense is in Indy as part of an international investigation. pic.twitter.com/wZqlLcMIjP
— Marc Mullins (@MarcMullins1) August 30, 2022
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett stated the soldiers were on their way back to the hotel following a “scuffle” at a local bar when they were targeted in the “drive-by shooting,” according to CBS News. Police declined to confirm this statement, the outlet noted, but investigators do not believe the incident was a random act of violence, according to the IMPD press release.
