Minnesota Daycare Tragedy: Family Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide

In a tragic incident in Hopkins, Minnesota, a man killed his wife, their 7-year-old daughter, and a 78-year-old relative before taking his own life. The event occurred at an in-home daycare the couple ran, police reported on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old man stabbed his wife and child at Brown Bear Childcare, located in a Minneapolis suburb. The other six children present were unharmed, according to authorities. A parent contacting police after seeing the attack in the basement was crucial in bringing attention to the tragedy, said Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson.

“There’s no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call,” Chief Johnson stated at a news conference.

The man’s first victim was believed to be his 78-year-old relative, killed earlier at her house in Burnsville, 20 miles from Hopkins. This link was established, and the authorities continue to investigate the timeline between the Burnsville and Hopkins incidents.

A neighbor, nurse Amanda Marx, described the scene she witnessed across the street. Unaware of any ongoing issues, she only noticed something was wrong when police tried to enter the home forcefully. Later, children were led out of the house, some carried by officers.

The daycare, licensed since 2019 with a capacity of 10 children, was in compliance during state inspections in recent years. Residents like Marx, who occasionally referred to the home as the “garage house” due to its mural, were unaware of any prior disturbances.

Chief Johnson mentioned the rarity of such events in Hopkins, acknowledging the significant emotional impact on responding officers.

Associated Press contributor Ed White also provided input from Detroit.

Note: In the U.S., assistance is available through the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 or at 988lifeline.org.