Minnesota Hotel Shooter Had No Connection to Victims, Was Impaired by Methamphetamine

The shooter, identified as Nicholas Elliot Lenius, was found to have methamphetamine in his system and may have been experiencing a mental health episode.

• Nicholas Elliot Lenius, 32, fatally shot a hotel clerk and a guest at a Super 8 motel in Cloquet, Minnesota, with no apparent connection to the victims.
• Authorities found methamphetamine in Lenius' system, suggesting impairment during the incident.
• Lenius also mentioned dealing with 'monsters' in a conversation around the time of the shooting, indicating a possible mental health episode.
• The incident, which occurred on Jan. 9, led to an active shooter warning and a shelter-in-place alert for the surrounding area.
• Lenius died by suicide on the night of the shootings, and was found with a semiautomatic weapon and recording devices.

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