CLOQUET — Investigators say the Anoka County man who shot and killed two people at a northern Minnesota motel before killing himself did not know or have contact with the two victims before the incident.

Police identified Nicholas Elliot Lenius, 32, of Ramsey, as the primary suspect in the killing of clerk Shellby Marie Trettel, 22, of Cloquet, and Patrick Jeffrey Roers, 35, of Deer River, at the Super 8 in Cloquet.

Police believe Lenius may have been in the midst of a mental health episode that was possibly compounded by being under the influence of methamphetamine. A toxicology report confirmed the drug was in his bloodstream at the time of his death, according to a news release Monday from the Cloquet Police Department.

While conducting interviews during the investigation, police found that Lenius contacted a co-worker and referenced dealing with “monsters.”

After examining four of Lenius’ electronic devices, investigators determined he did not know the suspects.

According to search warrants, Lenius appeared to be talking to someone on the phone during the incident.

During the investigation, officers spoke with Lenius’ work supervisor, who said he received a text message from Lenius that said, “WTF is going on.” Lenius’ supervisor then called Lenius at 6:30 p.m., which matches the time frame of the phone call on the footage.

While searching a 2020 Ford F-150 pickup truck registered to Lenius, police found a camera that appears to have been actively recording.

Police were called at 6:33 p.m. Jan. 8 by a hotel employee who found Trettel and said she looked like she was attacked. Trettel was transported to St. Luke’s in Duluth, where she was pronounced dead.

Police believe that Trettel was Lenius’ first victim. He then went outside and shot Roers multiple times while he was inside a vehicle. Lenius then walked a short distance and fatally shot himself.

Based on surveillance footage, police believe the incident lasted about 10 minutes.

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