Minnesota Man Kills Wife, Daughter at Daycare, Then Self, Police Say
A man stabbed his wife and daughter at their Minnesota daycare, killed a relative, then shot himself. Six children were unharmed.
A 41-year-old Minnesota man fatally stabbed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at the couple's in-home daycare on Wednesday morning, then took his own life with a gunshot wound, according to police. The attack occurred at Brown Bear Childcare in Hopkins, a Minneapolis suburb, around 9 a.m. on August 12, 2026.
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said officers responded to a report of a stabbing at the residence in the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North. On arrival, they found the man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, along with the bodies of a 41-year-old woman and a 7-year-old girl, both with stab wounds. All three were members of the same family.
Six other children were present at the daycare during the incident. They were safely evacuated and physically unharmed, and were quickly reunited with their families. Johnson said there are no outstanding suspects and no ongoing threat to the public.
More than three hours later, at approximately 12:23 p.m., Burnsville Police were dispatched to a stabbing at a home near Maple Island Road and Joplin Avenue, about 20 miles from Hopkins. There, officers found a 78-year-old woman dead. Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith said investigators believe the two tragedies are linked, and that the man had been living at the Burnsville residence of the "close family relative."
The suspect's name has not been released. Johnson said no clear motive has been determined, and there was no history of police calls to the Hopkins address. Authorities are still working to establish the timeline between the two crime scenes.
The daycare, which has been licensed by the state since 2019 and has a capacity of 10 children, was found in compliance during visits in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Photos on its Facebook page show children playing with toys inside and in the backyard, with colorful decorations and artwork on the walls.
Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon expressed the community's grief, saying, "We don't have strangers in Hopkins. We all know each other." He added, "It's tough to put into words what this loss is for our community, losing a mother, losing a young child and the children that potentially witness what they saw."