09 January 2024 , 07:49
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Three people are dead after a gunman went on a rampage and opened fire at the Minnesota Super 8 motel - as guests were ordered to hunker down.
Cops in rural Minnesota issued a shelter-in-place order for the community after three people, including the suspect, were found dead at around 6.30pm local time. Officers were called to the motel after a worker said it looked like their colleague had been attacked, according to the Cloquet Police Department.
Residents were ordered to stay away from windows and put their electronics on silence following the shelter-in-place demand from cops. A 22-year-old hotel staffer died at a hospital after she was shot and a 35-year-old man was also found dead in a car after being shot.
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Police were called to the motel amid reports of an active shooterThe shooter, a 32-year-old man, was found dead next to a gun. The three people have not been identified. Police have not released a motive or said if the suspects knew the suspected shooter.
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Chris Korby, who works at an Arby's fast-food restaurant, said his supervisor told colleagues to close the dining room, according to Duluth News Tribune. "It's a little nerve-wracking definitely when your life is on the line and you don't know who it is," he said.
"It's a little nerve-wracking definitely when your life is on the line and you don't know who it is," he added.
Tom Zambori, who was working across from the scene in the Pine Tree Plaza at the time of the shooting, said there were "lots of flashing lights" as cops descended onto the motel.
A gunman opened fire at Minnesota Super 8 motel"If you are currently in the affected area, seek shelter immediately. Go to a room with a lock if possible, close and lock all windows and doors, and remain quiet. Call 911 if you see anything suspicious," police said in an earlier news release.
Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota, described the shooting as "another senseless act of gun violence." He tweeted: "I am praying for those killed in another senseless act of gun violence tonight in Cloquet. To the law enforcement officers who responded, thank you. The state stands ready to provide continued support to local authorities."
The shooting comes just days after one person was killed and multiple left injured after a shooting at a high school in Iowa.
Police and ambulance services were called to the Perry High School in Perry on the first day of the new semester after a shooter fired a weapon at the school. The suspect was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to cops.
The officials also said three others were injured, including two students and an administrator with one injury potentially fatal. The Des Moines Register reported that one was the principal. According to witnesses, there were at least five ambulances at the scene.