Three dead, including child, in murder-suicide at Minnesota daycare

Two adults and a child were found dead Wednesday morning in what police called a “domestic-related homicide” at an in-home daycare in Hopkins, Minnesota, a suburb roughly 10 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said officers responded around 9 a.m. to a report of a stabbing at Brown Bear Daycare, on the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North, and found a man, woman and child dead inside. All three are believed to be members of one family, and investigators believe the man was the perpetrator and took his own life.

Six other children were inside the home at the time and were not harmed. Police said a parent arriving to drop off a child discovered the scene and called 911, and investigators believe that parent may have witnessed part of the attack.

“There’s no worse scenario than this,” Johnson said, “where you drop off your child to somewhere you think is safe.”

The Hopkins Police Department said in a statement it “responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence operating as a home daycare,” and added there are “no outstanding suspects and no ongoing threat to the public.”

Investigators later said police responded that afternoon to a homicide in nearby Burnsville they believe is connected to the Hopkins case. Burnsville police said they responded around 12:23 p.m. to a report of a stabbing and found an adult woman dead.

State licensing records show Brown Bear Daycare had been approved to care for up to 10 children since 2019 and passed compliance inspections in 2023, 2024 and 2025, with no violations on file, according to a FOX 9 report. A friend of the female victim told FOX 9 she had been planning to leave her spouse, who owned the home, and said — according to the friend’s account — that the relationship had included problems, including potential abuse.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had reached out to Hopkins officials to offer assistance.

“We are not strangers to crisis, and when it takes place, we work together,” Mr. Frey said. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office’s victim services division is prepared to support those affected.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.