INDIANAPOLIS — Shamar Duncan was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery after a five-day trial for the 2022 shooting of three Dutch soldiers.
Duncan shot the men in front of the Hampton Inn near Monument Circle at 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2022.
One of the soldiers, Simmie Poetsema, 26, was killed in the shooting. An autopsy determined he suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, causing a skull fracture and severe damage to the brain. His death was ruled a homicide.
Witnesses told police Duncan was “looking for trouble” and appeared to be intoxicated when he argued, fought and then fired shots at them.
Poetsema was a first-class corporal, according to The Netherlands Ministry of Defense.
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The defense ministry has said the soldiers were training at Muscatatuk Urban Training Center in Jennings County.
“The Poetsema family, his fellow soldiers, and the surviving victims have continued to show such grace in the face of unimaginable grief under extraordinary circumstances,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “Indianapolis is a world-class city, and we will not be defined by the defendant’s actions, but rather by our city’s response in the face of tragedy. It’s through that sense of collaboration and community that we were able to secure justice for Simmie.”
