Minnesota man fatally shoots wife and child at home daycare before taking his own life
Police say a 41-year-old man killed his wife and 7-year-old daughter at their Hopkins, Minnesota, home daycare, later committing suicide, and is also suspected of murdering a 78-year-old relative in Burnsville.
Police in Hopkins, Minnesota, reported that a 41-year-old man stabbed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter before shooting himself at the couple's home daycare, Brown Bear Childcare. The incident occurred while other children were present; authorities said the six other children were not physically harmed. A parent who was dropping off a child in the basement called police after witnessing the attack.
"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.
More than three hours later, officers in Burnsville, about 20 miles away, found a woman fatally stabbed in a home where the suspect had been staying. Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith said investigators believe the two incidents are linked.
No motive has been identified, and police have not released the suspect's name. The daycare, licensed since 2019 with a capacity of 10 children, had passed compliance inspections in recent years. Local residents described the house as a two-story building with a colorful mural, noting they were unaware the owners operated a daycare there.
Chief Johnson said such killings are rare in Hopkins and described the scene as one that would stay with officers for their careers.