Indianapolis Man Gets 105-Year Sentence for Shooting

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana resident has received a 105-year prison sentence for the 2022 fatal shooting of a Dutch soldier, in addition to injuring two other soldiers in downtown Indianapolis.

On Monday, a judge in Marion County decreed that Shamar Duncan would serve 60 years for murder, 35 years for attempted murder, and an additional 10 years for aggravated battery. These terms will be served consecutively.

Duncan’s conviction was secured by a jury last month.

The tragic incident involved the death of 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema, along with injuries to two fellow soldiers, all of whom had been training at a military base in southern Indiana. During an evening off in Indianapolis, the soldiers were returning to their hotel when they encountered Duncan and a group of his associates. This encounter, detailed in court documents, led to a conflict.

According to eyewitness accounts, the soldiers attempted to de-escalate the altercation. However, a brief scuffle occurred before shots were fired from a moving pickup truck.

Poetsema was identified as a member of the elite Dutch Commando Corps.

An arrest affidavit revealed that Duncan confessed to a friend that he fired the gun because he “just spazzed.”

During the sentencing, Duncan expressed remorse, apologizing to the victims’ families. He also conveyed his regret to his own family for “letting them down.”