CLOQUET, Minn. (AP) — Three people are dead after a shooting at a Super 8 motel, the victims have been identified as 22-year-old hotel clerk Shellby Marie Trettel of Cloquet and 35-year-old Patrick Jeffrey Roers of Deer River. The alleged gunman, 32-year-old Nicholas Elliot Lenius of Ramsey, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the motel grounds. The motive for the fatal shootings is still unclear. Police are diligently investigating the incident in an effort to bring clarity and understanding to the circumstances.
According to Chief Derek Randall, Lenius was identified as the suspect who killed both Trettel and Roers based on surveillance video from the hotel. A GoFundMe for Trettel has raised over $14,500 for her funeral and other expenses her family might face, as friends and colleagues remember her as someone with a huge heart and a positive presence. The community was issued a shelter-in-place order following the shooting, as police searched for the gunman and other possible victims.
Investigators are currently processing evidence from the scene in an attempt to determine the motive for the killings and any potential relationships between those involved. Cloquet Police and other law enforcement agencies responded to the Super 8 after a 911 call from an employee, leading to the discovery of the victims and the alleged gunman. The incident has left the community in shock and mourning, as they seek to come to terms with the tragic event.
In summary, the deadly shooting claimed the lives of three individuals at the Super 8 motel in Cloquet. Nicholas Elliot Lenius, the alleged gunman, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while the victims, Shellby Marie Trettel and Patrick Jeffrey Roers, were fatally shot. The motive for the fatal shootings remains unclear, and investigators are diligently working to bring understanding to this tragic incident.