A man killed his partner and their child at a home daycare in Hopkins, Minnesota, before taking his own life, police said Wednesday. The incident occurred at Brown Bear Daycare, where six other children present were unharmed and later reunited with their families.
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson confirmed the deaths during a press conference, stating the victims included two adults and a young child, believed to be family members. Johnson did not disclose the method of the killings or the child’s age, but noted all children at the daycare were under the age of 5.
The incident began when a parent arrived to drop off a child and alerted authorities, Johnson said. Police responded to a report of a domestic situation around 9 a.m. and found the three deceased individuals inside the home. Johnson described the scene as a “rarity” for Hopkins, adding that officers were visibly shaken by the killings.
Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey both issued statements expressing condolences to the affected families. Frey acknowledged the incident during his 2027 budget address, calling it a “critical incident” and offering assistance to Hopkins officials.
Police stated the event was isolated and that no ongoing threat to the public existed. Investigators did not provide a motive but confirmed the deceased man was believed responsible for the other two deaths. The Hopkins Police Department later released a statement calling the event an “extremely tragic” loss for the community.
The daycare, located in a small suburb 10 miles southwest of Minneapolis, has not commented publicly on the incident.