Victims and suspect killed in shooting at Super 8 motel in Cloquet identified

Update: Authorities have disclosed the identities of those who lost their lives in Monday’s shooting in Cloquet.

The hotel clerk is recognized as 22-year-old Shellby Marie Trettel, a resident of Cloquet. The individual discovered in a vehicle within the parking lot is 35-year-old Jeffrey Roers from Deer River.

The alleged gunman, identified as 32-year-old Nicholas Elliot Lenius from Ramsey, was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The statement from police went on to say, “On behalf of the Cloquet Police Department, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends affected by the tragic incident. We share in the community’s sorrow and offer our support to all those affected by this profound loss.
 
Our department and law enforcement partners are dedicated to working diligently in investigating this incident, aiming to bring clarity and understanding to the circumstances surrounding it as quickly as possible. “

Original Report:

A man took the lives of a Super 8 hotel employee and another guest in Cloquet before turning the weapon on himself in an incident that triggered an active shooter alert in the Northland city on Monday evening.

Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall, during a media update the following night, disclosed that the victims include a 22-year-old Cloquet woman, who served as a clerk at the Super 8, and a 35-year-old man from Deer River.

The man was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds in a car parked in the hotel’s parking lot.

The alleged shooter, a 32-year-old man from Ramsey, left the hotel premises and took his own life outside, as stated by Randall.

The identities of all three individuals involved will be disclosed on Wednesday morning. As of now, no motive for the shooting has been determined.

Randall mentioned that both the suspect and the male victim were hotel guests, and it remains unclear if the suspect had any connection to the victims.

The incident was reported when an employee at the Super 8 Hotel dialed 911 at 6:40 p.m., expressing concern about finding another employee who appeared to have been attacked.

Law enforcement officers arrived at the hotel within three minutes and discovered the woman with a gunshot wound.

She was transported to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. As the investigation progressed, law enforcement discovered the Deer River man “deceased inside a vehicle in the hotel parking lot, with multiple gunshot wounds.”

On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 6:30 p.m. An employee of the Super 8 hotel in Cloquet called 911 to report they’d found another hotel employee who looked like she’d been attacked.

Cloquet police responded and found a 22-year-old female with a gunshot wound. She was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

As officers investigated, they found a 35-year-old male victim in a car in the hotel parking lot. The man was deceased from a gunshot wound.

They later found a 32-year-old male outside on the hotel property who was deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm was located next to him. Officers reviewed surveillance video from the hotel and confirmed that this deceased male was the suspect.

Identities of the three deceased are not yet being released pending notification of family.

There is no information yet on a motive for the shootings or if there was any connection between the suspect and either of the victims. Crime scene

investigators are actively processing the scene. Police are confident there is no further threat to the public.

Further information will be released tomorrow as it is confirmed. A news conference will be held Tuesday at Cloquet City Hall, 101 14th Street in Cloquet. The time of the news conference will be announced in the morning.