The victim of Saturday night's shooting in Duluth died from a single gunshot wound to the back, according to Lt. Scott Drewlo of the Duluth Police Department.
Duluth police held a news conference Monday night to say the investigation was continuing, but the names of the deceased and the others involved were not released. Next of kin has not yet been found for the fatal shooting victim, and other names are being withheld.
The shooting, at 227 W. Third St, Apartment 3, was Duluth's first homicide of 2008.
Shots were fired shortly after 10 p.m. after a drug deal went wrong, police said. Two men were taken to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, and a third was found outside the building with head and facial wounds from being pistol-whipped, police said.
One man died at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, a second remains hospitalized and one was treated and released. No arrests have been made, no one is in custody and no further suspects were being sought as of Monday night.
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"The autopsy didn't make it any clearer," said Sgt. Bob Shene. Both he and Drewlo said the case was puzzling.
Police wouldn't say what types of drugs were involved.
"That's a very big part of this right now," Shene said. "Unless you're involved in that ... world, you don't have to be concerned with that kind of violence coming your way."
Police would not say whether there was more than one weapon involved in the incident, or how many shots were fired. A single weapon was recovered from the scene. The incident was not random, police said, and some of the people involved knew each other.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Duluth Police Department Violent Crimes Unit at 730-5050.
JANA HOLLINGSWORTH can be reached at (218) 279-5501 or by e-mail at jhollingsworth@ duluthnews.com.
