Police in Hopkins, Minnesota, discovered three members of a single family dead in a suspected murder-suicide Wednesday morning after a parent arriving to drop off a child witnessed an attack inside an in-home daycare. Investigators subsequently linked the tragedy to a second fatal stabbing in nearby Burnsville.
A Parent’s 911 Call Uncovers Morning Violence in Hopkins
The sequence of events unfolded just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, when a parent arrived at Brown Bear Childcare on the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North in Hopkins, Minnesota. According to Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson, the parent witnessed part of an attack inside the facility and immediately contacted emergency services. Responding officers entered the residence to find a devastating scene in the basement where the daycare operated.
Investigators discovered a 41-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter dead from apparent stab wounds. In an upstairs room, officers found a 41-year-old man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police identified all three deceased individuals as members of the same family who owned and operated the small childcare business.
Records show the residence-cum-daycare has been licensed by the state since 2019 with a capacity of 10 children. State inspection records indicate the facility was found to be in compliance during routine visits in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Six Unharmed Children Evacuated From the Daycare
Amid the violence in the home, six other children described as very young were present in the basement room where the attack occurred. Police confirmed that none of the six children were harmed during the incident. Officers quickly evacuated them from the residence and reunited them with their families later that morning.
Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon described the city as a tight-knit community where residents do not view each other as strangers, adding that the municipality had shed a lot of tears over the immense loss.
Investigators Link Hopkins Scene to Burnsville Homicide
As local authorities cordoned off the Tyler Avenue North neighborhood, developments approximately 20 miles away expanded the scope of the criminal investigation. Later in the day on Wednesday, Burnsville police responded to a residence following a family member’s report of a stabbing.
Inside the Burnsville home, officers found a 78-year-old woman dead from stab wounds. Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith confirmed that the elderly victim was a close relative of the suspected killer in Hopkins, and that the male suspect had been living at the Burnsville residence. Police departments in both cities immediately connected the two crime scenes, though officials noted that an exact timeline of events and a motive remain under investigation.
Regional Officials Respond to the Crisis
During a budget address on Wednesday morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey paused to offer his thoughts and prayers to those involved, confirming he had touched base directly with Mayor Hanlon to offer municipal resources.
“The City of Minneapolis stands with Hopkins. We are not strangers to crisis, and when it takes place, we work together. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing here.”
Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis
Chief Johnson emphasized to reporters that police believe the violence was an isolated event and that there is no ongoing threat to the public, though investigators continue to examine evidence and determine what weapons were used.
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