Attack occurred during morning drop-off at Brown Bear Childcare
HOPKINS — A suburban Minneapolis home daycare became the scene of a fatal family attack Wednesday morning when a 41-year-old man killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter and then took his own life, Hopkins police said.
Authorities said the slaying at Brown Bear Childcare happened about 9 a.m. while several young children were present. Six other children who were at the daycare at the time were not physically harmed and were later reunited with their parents, officials said.
Separate stabbing in Burnsville believed connected
Investigators also linked the Hopkins deaths to a stabbing reported more than three hours later at a house in Burnsville, roughly 20 miles from Hopkins. Burnsville police arrived at a home where they found a 78-year-old woman who had been fatally stabbed. Officials have said the woman was a close family relative of the suspect and that the two incidents are believed to be connected.
No names have been released by authorities. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said investigators have not yet determined a clear motive and that there were no previous police calls to the Hopkins residence.
Witness alerted police during drop-off
Hopkins police said a parent who had come to drop off a child at the daycare witnessed the attack in the basement of the home and immediately called 911. Officers who arrived at the Hopkins address found the man deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after the wife and child had been stabbed, police said.
"There's no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call," Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said at a news conference. "This is a tragic day and horrific scene for little children to witness, if they did witness this."
Neighbors described a chaotic scene as officers moved around the home and secured the area. One resident said she noticed police attempting to enter the house before crime scene tape was later posted.
Implications for daycare safety and parental trust
The attack has raised immediate concerns among parents who entrust their children to in-home childcare providers. While investigators have said the other children were not physically harmed, officials and mental-health specialists often caution that witnessing violent events can have lasting psychological effects on young children.
Local child-care licensing authorities and police urged parents to be alert to signs of distress in children who may have witnessed the incident and to seek professional help if needed. The Hopkins chief emphasized the emotional impact on families and the community, while investigators continued to piece together the timeline and relationship among the three victims.
What authorities are still determining
Police have not released specifics about how the wife was killed beyond that she was stabbed, and they declined to name the victims. Officials said it will take time to fully establish the sequence of events between the Burnsville and Hopkins scenes, and they continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses.
Detectives from both communities are coordinating the investigation, which remains active. Law enforcement agencies have not disclosed whether any weapons were recovered beyond reports that the suspect died of a gunshot wound.
- Time of Hopkins incident: Approximately 9 a.m.
- Children present at daycare: 7 total; 1 killed (age 7), 6 unharmed physically
- Linked incident: Burnsville stabbing of a 78-year-old relative, reported more than three hours later
Quick reference: known facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary scene | Brown Bear Childcare, Hopkins (in-home daycare) |
| Victims at Hopkins | Wife (41), Daughter (7) |
| Linked victim | 78-year-old woman in Burnsville |
| Suspect | 41-year-old man, deceased (self-inflicted gunshot wound) |
As the investigation continues, authorities did not release the names of the victims or the suspect and asked the public to avoid speculation while officers work to complete interviews and forensic examinations. The community has been left grappling with the violence and searching for ways to support the children and families affected.
Anyone with information related to the incidents is asked to contact Hopkins police. Mental-health resources are available for residents who find themselves struggling after the events; the national suicide and crisis lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988, and online support is at 988lifeline.org.
