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Hopkins daycare homicide leaves 2 adults, 1 child dead
An incident in Hopkins, Minnesota has left 2 adults and 1 child dead. Community and police have described the neighborhood as quiet, and have said an incident like this is exceedingly rare.
HOPKINS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Three people are dead, including a child, after a stabbing following a domestic incident at a Hopkins in-home daycare on Wednesday.
How it began
The backstory:
Hopkins police say they were called to the scene around 9 a.m. by a parent who had arrived to drop off their child. Police say they believed the parent may have witnessed part of the crime.
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Hopkins daycare deaths: 3 dead including suspect
Hopkins police say a man, woman and juvenile were found dead after officers responded to a domestic situation at an in-home daycare. Police Chief Brent Johnson said the victims appear to be members of one family and investigators preliminarily believe the deceased man was the perpetrator and took his own life.
3 found dead
What we know:
So far, Hopkins police have only confirmed:
- Three people were found dead at the scene by officers: one adult male, one adult female and one juvenile.
- Police initially wouldn't say how the victims were killed but later said the initial calls were for a stabbing.
- All three were believed to be members of one family.
- Seven children total were in the daycare; one was dead.
- The other six children weren't harmed and now have been reunited with their parents.
- The man found dead is believed to be the perpetrator.
- Police preliminarily believed the man took his own life.
- The dead adults are believed to be the daycare owners. The child killed is believed to be their child.
- The daycare owners lived at the home.
- There is no ongoing threat.
The scene of the Hopkins daycare murders. (FOX 9)
Where it happened
Local perspective:
The scene is at a home daycare at Brown Bear Daycare at 236 Tyler Ave N.
The daycare is an in-home daycare located just north of 2nd Street NE and just west of Blake Road North.
The daycare is in a quiet neighborhood across from a park. Some neighbors told FOX 9 they didn't realize the house was a daycare, and they referred to the home as the "Garage House" because of a large decal that covers the garage.
Deadly attack in Burnsville connected
Big picture view:
Officials now say that a homicide in Burnsville on Wednesday is also suspected to be connected to the deadly Hopkins attack.
A city official tells FOX 9 the "working assumption" is the homicide in connected to the double murder-suicide in Hopkins. Police confirmed that potential connection in a news release.
Burnsville police said they responded shortly before 12:30 p.m. to the area of Maple Island Road and Joplin Avenue for the report of a stabbing. At the scene, they found a woman dead.
Questions remain
What we don't know:
Police have not yet confirmed the circumstances that led up to the deaths.
The police chief plans to hold a follow-up briefing at 4 p.m. at city hall.
History of Brown Bear Daycare
Big picture view:
State records show the daycare was licensed to care for up to ten children with no more than six children under school age.
It had been inspected three times in recent years, in March 2023, January 2024, and Sept. 2025, and found to be in compliance. State records show no violations against the daycare center. The daycare had first been issued a license in February 2019 and was registered in the name of the female victim.
A friend of the murdered daycare owner told FOX 9's Corin Hoggard that the owner was planning to close her daycare because she planned to leave her spouse – who owned the home. The friend said there were issues in the relationship, including potential abuse.
The Source: Information from police and FOX 9 reporting.