Dutch soldier killed in Indianapolis by man "picking a fight"

The 22-year-old man the American police arrested in Indianapolis on Monday in connection with a shooting that killed a Dutch commando soldier on Saturday allegedly formed part of a group that was out to start a fight that evening. That is evident from court documents seen by the local newspaper, The Indianapolis Star. Two other Dutch soldiers got hurt in the shooting.

Shamar D. is suspected of murder, the police said. The prosecutor has yet to decide whether D. will be officially charged.

A witness saw from across the street that D.’s group had previously argued with a group of other men and pushed one of them, the newspaper wrote. However, this group refused to be provoked, after which D. and his mates tried it with the Dutch commandos. According to the witness, one of the fighters was knocked down, and another shouted he would get a “strap,” slang for a firearm. The groups broke up, and the shooting happened moments later.

The shooting happened in the soldiers’ free time near the hotel they were staying in. A brawl in a bar may have preceded the shooting, the mayor of the American city previously said.

According to Mayor Joe Hogsett, the police have “a good idea” of what happened. "As I understand it, there was a scuffle — a kerfuffle — at a bar, and the Dutch guardsmen had returned back to their hotel. What they were doing outside, I'm not altogether sure, but I'm told the alleged perpetrators did a drive-by shooting, and ultimately three were victimized by that shooting," Hogsett said.

The Dutch commandos were in the state of Indiana for training. More Dutch soldiers were staying in the hotel where the shooting happened.

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren raised concerns about gun violence in the United States following the shooting. Her spokesperson added that it was too early for the Netherlands to consider limiting or halting the practice of sending troops to the United States for training and other cooperative projects.