An American jury found a man guilty of murdering Dutch commando Simmie Poetsema (26) and injuring two fellow commandos during a night out in Indianapolis. The fatal shooting occurred in August 2022.
Poetsema was in the United States for training and went out with fellow soldiers in Indianapolis, Indiana. As they were returning to their hotel after closing time, they were harassed by Shamar Duncan and his two brothers.
According to a witness, Duncan and his brothers had sought a confrontation with another group earlier. The local newspaper, The IndyStar, reported that Poetsema and other soldiers tried to defuse the situation, but a fight ensued.
The groups then separated, and the American suspect drove away with his brothers in a pickup truck. They later returned to the soldiers’ hotel, where witnesses heard gunshots.
Officers found the 26-year-old Poetsema and the two other soldiers in front of the hotel. Poetsema had been shot in the head and died in the hospital surrounded by family and colleagues.
Duncan was arrested after the shooting and charged in September 2022. Sentence Pending In court, his lawyer stated that Duncan admitted to shooting at the soldiers but did not intend to kill anyone.
Duncan will learn his sentence at the end of February. The minimum prison sentence for murder is 45 years.
Source: NOS