INDIANAPOLIS — Prosecutors in Indiana announced they had charged a man in connection to a shooting that left one Dutch soldier dead and two others injured in Indianapolis on Saturday.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday that they charged 22-year-old Shamar Duncan with murder, two counts of attempted murder, and disorderly conduct for his alleged role in the death of 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema and the injuries of two others.
Today, Prosecutor Mears and @IMPDnews announced Shamar Duncan has been charged for his alleged role in the Aug. 27 shooting that resulted in the death of Simmie Poetsema and injured two others. Duncan faces charges of Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder and Disorderly Conduct. pic.twitter.com/qrmzQ8MKqf
— Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (@MCProsecutors) September 1, 2022
"The initial confrontation did not involve any weapons," Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. "But unfortunately, after that initial confrontation concluded, an individual made the decision, made the choice to retrieve a weapon. And we are standing here with one person who has lost his life."
According to the Associated Press, an arrest affidavit stated that the Dutch soldiers were in Indiana for training at a military camp and were in Indianapolis enjoying a night off when they got into an altercation with Duncan and his friends.
According to the affidavit, witnesses told police that the soldiers tried to defuse the situation, but a brief fight erupted before someone from a passing pickup truck began shooting, the Associated Press reported.
After the shooting, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren voiced his concern about gun violence in the United States, telling the Associated Press that they "really don’t expect this to happen" and that this was "very, very concerning" for them.
The news outlet reported that a judge ordered Duncan during a court hearing on Thursday to remain jailed without bond.
Deputy Police Chief Kendale Adams told the news outlet that one of the injured soldiers had returned to the Netherlands. The other wounded soldier is expected to return Thursday, Adams said per the Associated Press.