3 Dutch commandos in Indiana for combat training exercise INJURED in shooting outside hotel
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: As many as three commandos of the Royal Netherlands Army were injured in a shooting outside an Indianapolis hotel around 3.30 am on Saturday, August 27. A spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Defense told Amsterdam-based NL Times that at least two of the soldiers were in critical condition after the attack. The commandos were reportedly involved in an argument before the shooting.
The group of soldiers from the army’s Commando Corps were reportedly in Indianapolis for the urban combat training exercise and were staying in the Hampton Inn, 105 S Meridian St, which is two blocks south of Monument Circle, according to WISH. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence claimed that the shooting took place while the commandos were in the military's free time.
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Drie militairen van het KCT zijn gewond geraakt bij een schietpartij in de Amerikaanse stad Indianapolis. Een van hen verkeert in kritieke toestand, de andere twee zijn bij kennis en aanspreekbaar. De families van de slachtoffers zijn geïnformeerd. https://t.co/z9jhowYoit
— Ministerie van Defensie (@Defensie) August 27, 2022
According to a tweet on Saturday from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, "Three KCT soldiers have been injured in a shooting in the American city of Indianapolis. One of them is in critical condition, the other two are conscious and approachable. The families of the victims have been informed."
Around 3.30 in the morning, police were called to the Hampton Inn, where they discovered the three injured men lying outside the building, according to Fox59. The shooting happened in the hotel which is at the intersection of Meridian and Maryland streets, in the 100 block of South Meridian Street.
The Netherlands Ministry of Defense claimed that all three of the men are Dutch Commando Corps soldiers who are participating in an exercise in Indiana. The soldiers, according to the Indiana National Guard, were undergoing training at the 1,000-acre (405-hectare) Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, which is located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southeast of Indianapolis. The Department of Defense as well as other allies receive training at the facility, according to a statement from the Guard.
The Dutch soldiers visited Indianapolis at the end of their duty day. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and families during this difficult time," the Guard said, WXIN-TV reported.
Despite a decrease in fatal shootings in Indianapolis compared to 2021's record-breaking total of 271, Fox59 reports that 2022 is still expected to surpass 2021 as the second-deadliest year in Indianapolis history.