Shooter kills 2 people at Minnesota motel and is later found dead, police say

CLOQUET, Minn. — A shooter killed two people at a small-town Minnesota motel late Monday and the suspect was later found dead, authorities said.

Police issued an alert at about 7 p.m. about an active shooter at a Super 8 motel in Cloquet and warned people in the surrounding area of Big Lake Road and Highway 33 to shelter in place.

The order was lifted about 90 minutes later after police reported finding the suspected shooter dead and announced there wasn’t any active threat.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office later said two people had been found dead along with the suspect at the motel and in a parked vehicle. Other details, including a possible motive for the attack, weren't immediately released.

“I am praying for those killed in another senseless act of gun violence tonight in Cloquet," Gov. Tim Walz said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “To the law enforcement officers who responded, thank you. The state stands ready to provide continued support to local authorities.”

Cloquet is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Duluth and partly lies within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.