Cloquet Shooting Leaves Three Dead, Including Suspect

Three people are dead following a shooting at a Super 8 hotel in Cloquet on Monday evening, including the suspected shooter.

Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall held a press conference on Tuesday morning to give an update on the investigation. According to law enforcement authorities, officers responded to the Cloquet Super 8 hotel on Big Lake Road after receiving a call around 6:30 pm.

When police arrived, they found a 22-year-old hotel employee with a gunshot wound. The woman later died after being taken to a local hospital. Authorities also found the body a 35-year-old Deer River man in his car, also with a gunshot wound.

Police then identified the suspected shooter, a 32-year-old Ramsey man, who appeared to have died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They also allegedly found a handgun next to him.

After a review of security camera footage, law enforcement officials believe the hotel employee was shot first, followed by the man who was found in his car. They estimate the entire incident lasted about 10 minutes. A shelter in place order was imposed on the area as officers searched for more evidence, but they determined there was no further threat to the public.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet announced a possible motive for the shooting. They also have not uncovered any links between the victims and the suspected shooter. The names of the victims and the suspect were not released at the time of the press conference as authorities are in the process of notifying their families.