Tragic Incident at Home Daycare in Minnesota

HOPKINS, Minn. (AP) — Police have reported a tragic event in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. A 41-year-old man killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at a home daycare before taking his own life. The couple ran the daycare operation. It is suspected that the man also killed a 78-year-old relative before these events.

The incident occurred at Brown Bear Childcare. Although there were six other children present, none were physically harmed. A parent called the police after witnessing the attack while dropping off a child, as stated by Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson. Johnson expressed the gravity of the situation, noting the distress of receiving such alarming news when expecting a safe environment for children.

“There’s no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call,” Johnson commented. “This is a tragic day and horrific scene for little children to witness, if they did witness this.”

Several hours later, Burnsville Chief Matt Smith reported finding a woman fatally stabbed at a home in Burnsville, about 20 miles from Hopkins. Investigators believe this crime is connected to the earlier killings. The man involved had apparently been residing with the elderly relative.

The police have yet to establish a motive and have no record of previous police calls to the Hopkins address. Police Chief Johnson mentioned that piecing together the timeline for the incidents in Hopkins and Burnsville would take time.

A local resident, Amanda Marx, noticed the commotion only when police attempted to gain entry to the home. Officers later cordoned off the area, and young children were seen being led out of the premises. Marx, who lives nearby, was unaware that a licensed daycare was operating in the home. She is now dealing with explaining the grim scene to her own 7-year-old son.

Brown Bear Childcare has held a state license since 2019, accommodating up to 10 children. State inspections in 2023, 2024, and 2025 found it in compliance.

Johnson remarked that such killings are rare in Hopkins and acknowledged the impact on his officers who attended the scene. “I could see on the look on their faces that this was one of those ones that you’ll remember for your entire career, if not life,” he said.

For those in crisis, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available at 988 or online at 988lifeline.org.