A Minnesota man fatally stabbed his wife and young daughter at a home daycare before dying by suicide, authorities said Wednesday, as investigators also connected the case to the stabbing death of an elderly woman at a nearby home.
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said officers were called to Brown Bear Daycare at around 9 a.m. local time for a reported domestic incident. Inside the home, police found a 41-year-old man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, along with his 41-year-old wife and their 7-year-old daughter, both of whom had been stabbed.
Authorities also found a 78-year-old woman, believed to be a relative, stabbed to death at her residence in nearby Burnsville, Johnson said.
Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith said the suspect had been living at the Burnsville home.
Police have not released the names of any of the victims. Six other children who were inside the daycare when the violence unfolded were not injured and have since been reunited with their families, officials said.
Investigators said no note was found.
Police are seen in Hopkins, Minn., after three people, including a child, were found dead at an in-home daycare on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (KMSP)
Johnson said a parent arriving to drop off a child at the daycare called police, and investigators believe that parent may have witnessed the incident, according to the station.
“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,” Johnson said. “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.”
The Hopkins Police Department later released a statement to News Outlet saying it “responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence operating as a home daycare in the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North in Hopkins.”
“At this time, we believe there are no outstanding suspects and no ongoing threat to the public,” police added. “This is an extremely tragic event for our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this devastating incident.”
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said six other children were inside Brown Bear Daycare at the time of the incident. They were unharmed and have since been reunited with their families. (KMSP)
Johnson told Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul that investigators believe the deceased male was the perpetrator of the isolated incident and that he took his own life.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
“I know that our hearts and our prayers are with the people of Hopkins and any families that have been impacted,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday, according to the station. “I have already touched base directly with Hanlon and offer any assistance we can provide. The City of Minneapolis stands with Hopkins. We are not strangers to crisis, and when it takes place, we work together. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing here.”
Frey said the city will provide any resources. and assistance requested by Hopkins officials.
The neighborhood in Hopkins, Minn., where the incident happened at the in-home daycare on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (KMSP)
“We’re aware of this morning’s tragic and devastating incident in Hopkins and are working with Hopkins Police as they investigate,” added Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “Our office’s victim services division is prepared to support the individuals impacted by this incident.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., reacted to the tragedy during an appearance on FOX 9’s All Day.
“Your heart, you just think about these little kids in the daycare. Our daughter went to daycare for a while,” she said. “You think about dropping your child off, and then thinking about them in this scene of incredible violence and tragedy. You think about the relatives of this family, what they’ve lost with a little child, a mom and what these kids witnessed. No matter who old they are, it’s going to be with them forever.”
