Dutch commandos wounded in shooting outside hotel in gun-crazy US

Three Dutch commandos in the United States for training exercises were wounded in a shooting outside their hotel in Indianapolis on Friday night, the Dutch Defense Ministry said.

One of them was in critical condition, a statement published on Saturday said. The men were in the state of Indiana for training, it said, adding that local police were investigating the incident. No arrests have been made.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), which is handling the investigation, was not immediately available for comment. An IMPD officer told FOX 59 it appeared an altercation took place earlier at a different location from the Hampton Inn in downtown Indianapolis.

“Right now the information we’re willing to disclose is that it was not something that occurred inside the hotel,” the officer told the news channel. “It was a previous altercation we believe at another location. It did not happen inside the Hampton, the actual occurrence was outside.”

Asked who the commandos were training with and whether any US personnel were involved in the incident, a Pentagon spokesperson referred questions to local civilian authorities, adding the situation remains under investigation.

Local media quoted the Indiana National Guard as saying the soldiers had been training at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center about 65 kilometers southeast of Indianapolis.