Dutch commando dies after he was caught up in shooting with two colleagues outside an Indianapolis hotel while they were off duty
- Dutch commando, who was in a critical condition after shooting, has died
- The soldier was one of three members of the Dutch Commando Corps who were shot and wounded outside of a Hampton Inn in Indianapolis on Saturday
- The two other wounded soldiers are conscious in hospital and able to speak
- The group was in Indiana as part of a training program in urban conflict
A Dutch commando has died after he and his two colleagues were wounded in a shooting outside a hotel in downtown Indianapolis over the weekend.
The commando, who was in a critical condition in hospital following the shooting, died of his injuries on Sunday night, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement today.
The soldier, whose identity was not released, was one of three members of the Dutch Commando Corps who were shot and wounded at around 3.30am on Saturday morning after what local police believe was a disturbance outside the hotel where they were staying.
The two other wounded soldiers are conscious and able to speak after the shooting outside a local Hampton Inn, the ministry said.
The three soldiers, who had been in Indiana for training, were involved in an argument prior to the shooting, NL Times reports.
A Dutch commando has died after he and his two colleagues were wounded in a shooting outside a hotel in downtown Indianapolis over the weekend
The three wounded men are members of the Dutch Commando Corps, the group’s insignia is shown here, they were in Indianapolis are part of an urban combat training program
The two other wounded soldiers are conscious and able to speak after the shooting outside a local Hampton Inn, the ministry said
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reports that the wounded men are members of the anti-terrorism 108 Commando Company. The group is training at a facility designed to teach urban combat.
‘The shooting took place in front of the hotel where the commandos are staying,’ said a ministry spokesperson. ‘The incident happened during the military members’ free time.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Dutch defense ministry for comment.
Police were called to the Hampton Inn around 3.30am where they found the three wounded men lying outside of the hotel, reports Fox59.
The station reports that police have multiple witnesses but said that no arrests have been made. The shooting did not take place inside the hotel.
The hotel where the shooting occurred is on the 100 block of South Meridian Street at the intersection between Meridian and Maryland streets.
Authorities in Indiana said that they do not believe that the shooting was random and that there is no threat to the public.
Although fatal shootings are down in Indianapolis compared to 2021’s record-breaking figure of 271, 2022 is still on pace to be the second deadliest year in the city’s history, reports Fox59.
Despite the lower overall homicide rate, nearly twice as many juveniles have been killed on the city’s streets compared to the same time last year.
The Mayor’s office has set aside $15 million for citywide community anti-violence grants.
Authorities in Indiana said that they do not believe that the shooting was random and that there is no threat to the public
Police were called to the Hampton Inn around 3.30am where they found the three wounded men lying outside of the hotel
The Dutch defense department said that the victims’ families have been notified.
The US and Dutch militaries have long-standing ties. In July 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with his Dutch counterpart, Kajsa Ollongren, at the Pentagon.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Austin thanked the Dutch for their support of Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
The two countries also collaborate in combatting drug smuggling in the Caribbean, Austin said. He added: ‘I know that the Netherlands is also committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific.’
In recent years, the Dutch have purchased F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and MQ-9 Reaper drones from the US.
Ollongren also mentioned the collaborations between the US and Dutch militaries in tackling cyber crime.
‘Our relationship is based on common commitment, freedom and rights,’ she said.
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