Authorities confirmed that a deadly domestic-related stabbing and suspected murder-suicide at a Hopkins, Minnesota, home daycare that left two adults and a 7-year-old girl dead is connected to a separate fatal stabbing in Burnsville. The Wednesday morning incident at Brown Bear Daycare left six other young children unharmed.
Police Respond to Daycare Stabbing in Hopkins
Law enforcement officers responded to a report of a stabbing shortly after 9 a.m. at Brown Bear Daycare, located in the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North in Hopkins, Minnesota. According to the Burnsville and Hopkins Police Departments, arriving officers discovered three people dead inside the residence: a 41-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman, and a 7-year-old girl.
Investigators determined that the man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, while the woman and the young girl suffered fatal stab wounds. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson stated that the deceased adults and child belonged to the same family, with preliminary evidence indicating the man was the perpetrator in what is being investigated as a potential murder-suicide. Chief Johnson noted that the adults were likely the owners of the in-home daycare facility situated roughly 15 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Parent Witness Triggers Emergency Response
The sequence of events began when a parent arrived at the facility to drop off their children and witnessed the incident, prompting an immediate call to law enforcement. Police utilized this witness account to confirm the suspect was dead.
Six other children, all described as very young, were inside the daycare at the time of the violence. None of those six children were physically harmed, and officers safely removed them from the scene to reunite them with their families.
Chief Johnson said a parent who arrived to drop off their children was the one to call police, and investigators believe that parent witnessed the incident.
Chief Johnson expressed the profound weight of the event for both the community and responding personnel, noting the nightmare scenario of leaving a child in a trusted environment.
“There’s no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child to somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call. I think we can all relate, [those] who have children and those who don’t. This is just a tragic situation anywhere in the world, let alone here in Hopkins.”
Chief Brent Johnson, via Fox News
Connection to Burnsville Homicide Investigation
Later in the day, investigators linked the Hopkins tragedy to a separate homicide in Burnsville. Burnsville police responded at approximately 12:23 p.m. to a residence near Maple Island Road and Joplin Avenue following a report of a stabbing. Officers located an adult female dead inside the home.
Burnsville Police Chief Smith stated that the victim, a 78-year-old woman, was a close family relative
of the suspect in the Hopkins incident. Authorities added that the suspect had recently lived in the Burnsville home where the elderly woman was discovered.
Community Grief and Regional Response
Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon spoke to reporters alongside police leadership, emphasizing the close ties within the municipality.
“This is a tight-knit community,” Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon said. “We don’t have strangers in Hopkins, we all know each other.”
Patrick Hanlon, Hopkins Mayor
Mayor Hanlon added that the city had shed a lot of tears today over this incident, over this immense loss.
Neighboring officials also offered support. During his budget address, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey offered thoughts and prayers on behalf of Minneapolis, stating that the city stands ready to assist Hopkins in any way possible. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a statement confirming that her office’s victim services division is prepared to support individuals impacted by the tragedy.
Active Investigation and Ongoing Support
Police have confirmed that there is no ongoing threat to the community and that investigators are continuing to examine the exact motive and the nature of the weapons involved. As local and county agencies coordinate their ongoing inquiries into both crime scenes, officials emphasize that resources remain accessible for anyone affected by domestic violence or trauma.
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