Hopkins daycare deaths: Memorial honoring victims setup outside daycare
Hopkins daycare deaths, Burnsville homicide: What we know
Police say two adults and a child found dead at a daycare in Hopkins were linked to a deadly stabbing in Burnsville that happened earlier that same day. FOX 9's Chenue Her breaks down everything we know so far.
HOPKINS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A memorial has been set up outside the Hopkins daycare where a mother and her daughter were stabbed to death on Wednesday by a father who police said then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Hopkins daycare deaths
The backstory:
Police responded shortly after 9 a.m. on Wednesday to the report of a stabbing at the Brown Bear Daycare on Tyler Avenue North. The Hopkins police chief said the report came from a parent who had arrived at the daycare to drop off their child and had apparently stumbled upon the violence unfolding.
When officers arrived, they said they found two victims, the 41-year-old mother and 7-year-old daughter, stabbed to death in the basement of the home.
They found the 41-year-old father dead in the upper level of the home.
The mother and father were the owners of the daycare, police said.
Memorial setup outside Hopkins daycare (FOX 9)
Burnsville connection
Big picture view:
Hours later, Burnsville police responded to the scene of another homicide that investigators later determined was connected to the Hopkins slayings. Officers say they found a 78-year-old woman dead inside a home on Maple Island Drive.
Police said the suspect in the Hopkins murders had been living recently with the Burnsville victim and was also suspected in the 78-year-old victim's killing.
Memorial created
Local perspective:
FOX 9 crews found a memorial setup outside the daycare on Thursday morning, a day after the murders.
Flowers, candles, and stuffed animals had been arranged on a stone garden pond.
What's next:
The Hopkins mayor said Wednesday the city was planning to hold a vigil to honor the victims in the coming days. Details on the vigil have not yet been released.