Final Report Issued on Jan. 8 Killed at Cloquet Hotel

CLOQUET, Minn. — After two months of many unanswered questions, the Cloquet Police Department has released its final report on the Jan. 8 triple-fatal shooting at the Cloquet Super 8 hotel.

Cloquet officials say there is zero evidence that suggests the killer, 32-year-old Nicholas Lenius, of Ramsey, Minnesota knew his two victims.

Toxicology reports show Nicholas Lenius had meth in his system at the time of the shooting on January 8th and may have been experiencing a “mental health episode.” As part of the investigation, officers discovered Lenius had told a co-worker that he was “dealing with “monsters.”

Cloquet police said Lenius entered the Super 8 around 6:30 p.m. January 8.  He would shoot and kill front desk clerk Shellby Trettel, a 22-year-old resident of Cloquet, before committing the same crime against Patrick Roers, a 35-year-old man from Deer River who was a guest of the hotel.  He was found shot and killed in his vehicle in the parking lot.

Lenius ended his crime spree by shooting himself outside the hotel.

Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall said investigators examined four of the suspect’s electronic devices, which “did not uncover any evidence or information” of communication or prior knowledge with Trettel and Roers.

Shortly after his death, Roers’ sister, Ellen, remembered the good things about her brother.  “The biggest thing about Patrick is he would light up a room, you know, he just was good to a stranger, just his smile. I can hear his voice. I can picture a smile. Even his walk.”

The final investigative report will be forwarded to the Carlton County Attorney’s Office for review.