Cloquet motel shooting: Cops still searching for motive as three found dead at Minnesota Super 8

CLOQUET, MINNESOTA: Police and investigators in Cloquet are still seeking a motive in a Monday, January 8, evening shooting that left three people, including the perpetrator, dead at a motel.

At a news conference on Tuesday, January 9, Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall said investigators are still unclear of the motive, or whether it was a random act of violence. However, as per CBS News, he said there's no threat to the public.

What happened at Cloquet’s Super 8 motel?

Police say that about 6:30 pm, a worker at a Super 8 contacted 911 to report seeing a female employee who looked like she had been injured. Officers discovered a woman from Cloquet, age 22, suffering from a gunshot wound once they arrived a few minutes later.

She was brought to a Duluth hospital, where she died shortly after. She was recognized by her relatives as Shellby Trettel.

Her father, Tim, called what happened "a senseless act of violence." 

He said in a statement, "Shellby was a caring, compassionate and wonderfully colorful person. She loved her siblings and friends and her music. Shellby was a person who you could always count on. Shellby Trettel is a memorable person who has touched many lives. She will be so dearly missed and forever in our hearts."

Police later confirmed that Trettel worked as a clerk at the motel. Randall said she was near the front desk when she was shot.

Who was the second victim?

Police identified the second victim as a 35-year-old Deer River man, who was found inside a vehicle in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds.

A gun was discovered close to a 32-year-old Ramsey man, who was found dead from "what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound" outside the hotel, according to the police.

A temporary shelter-in-place order was issued and the hotel was evacuated as police investigated the event, according to police, who added that the evidence pointed to an active shooter situation.

After watching security footage, investigators were able to confirm that the 32-year-old was the shooter.

At around 8:30 pm, authorities lifted the shelter-in-place.

According to the police investigation so far, the perpetrator shot the clerk before leaving the hotel and shooting the second victim. Then he shot himself.

Randall says he's never seen anything like this in his 20 years on the force. He says the hotel's surveillance footage was vital to his department's quick response.

"It was crucial. I think the biggest concern for us was not knowing where the suspect was as we responded. Officers were able to quickly start to clear the hotel, top floor, bottom floor. Once that was secure, people were in place, they were able to access the video surveillance and recall that information," Randall said.