On Monday evening, January 8, 2024, the quiet community of Cloquet, Minnesota, was shaken by a violent incident at the Super 8 motel on Big Lake Road, near Highway 33.
The Cloquet Police Department responded to an active shooter situation.
At around 6:30 p.m., officers arrived and discovered two victims with gunshot injuries.
Shellby Trettel a 22-year-old woman from Cloquet, a clerk at the hotel, was found by a desk and was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Police then located a 35-year-old Deer River man, a guest staying at the hotel, who had been shot multiple times. He was found deceased in a vehicle in the hotel’s parking area.
Officers eventually found a 32-year-old man from Ramsey, presumed to be the assailant, outside the hotel premises. He was found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot. A gun was also discovered beside him.
After examining the hotel’s surveillance footage, authorities later verified that this individual was indeed the suspect.
During the active situation, residents in the vicinity of the motel had been advised to shelter in place, ensuring their safety while police responded to the critical situation.
The warning also instructed those in the affected area to secure themselves in locked rooms, shut and lock all windows and doors, and remain silent, calling 911 if they observed any suspicious activity.
By 8 p.m., police declared the area secure. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the unfortunate outcome of the incident: two victims and the shooter were found dead.
The investigation has been taken over by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Cloquet Police. A motive for the crime has not yet been established.
The identities of the other victim and the shooter will be revealed on Wednesday morning.
