HOPKINS, Minn. — A man killed his partner and child at a home daycare they own in Minnesota before taking his life, police said Wednesday. All six other kids who were at the home have been reunited with their parents, and none were injured, according to authorities in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said another parent called police after witnessing the attack while bringing a child to Brown Bear Childcare. “There’s no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call,” Johnson said at a news conference. The police chief declined to release the victims’ identities or say how they died. He said he didn’t know the relationship between the two adults who owned the daycare, but the child who died is believed to be theirs. Police and sheriff vehicles lined the otherwise quiet street where the daycare is located. The brown, two-story house has a mural on the garage door of a tree-lined lake and a moose. Photos on the daycare’s Facebook page show kids playing with toys inside and in the backyard, with colorful decorations and artwork on the walls. Amanda Marx, a nurse who lives across the street, didn’t realize anything was wrong until she noticed police officers trying to break down the home’s front door. She said officers moved behind the home before reappearing and calling for crime scene tape. Later, several young children emerged — one being carried by an officer. Marx said she and her 7-year-old son always referred to it as the “garage house” due to the colorful mural. The longtime resident said she’d never met the home’s owners and was unaware they were running a daycare. She didn’t recall any prior disturbances. “I’m just trying to figure out how to explain to my 7-year-old why there’s crime scene tape on our deck,” she said. Records show the daycare has been licensed by the state since 2019 and has a capacity of 10 children. It was found to be in compliance during visits in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Johnson said killings are a “rarity” in Hopkins and that his officers were shaken by the scene they found inside the home. “I could see on the look on their faces that this was one of those ones that you’ll remember for your entire career, if not life,” Johnson said. If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available. Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit 988.ca) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338) Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
