On Wednesday morning, August 12, a daycare in Hopkins, Minnesota, USA, made a grim discovery of three bodies, including that of a child. Hopkins is located approximately 10 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Chief Brent Johnson of the Hopkins Police Department stated that they received a call at 9 a.m. reporting a domestic dispute at Brown Bear Daycare Center at 200 North Tyler Avenue.
Upon arrival, the police found a man, a woman, and a child dead inside the residence. Johnson mentioned that the three deceased individuals are believed to be members of the same family.
Initial investigations suggest that the male deceased was the perpetrator, who killed the woman and the child before committing suicide.
At the time of the incident, there were six other children present in the daycare. Johnson confirmed that these children were unharmed. The authorities safely relocated all the children from the scene and reunited them with their families.
Johnson emphasized that this was an isolated incident and that public safety is not at risk.
It was a parent who had dropped off their child at the daycare who alerted the authorities.
“There’s nothing worse than this. You drop your child off at what you believe is a safe place, and then you get that call,” Johnson expressed. “I think we can all empathize, whether we have children or not.”
The investigation is ongoing, with parts of the area cordoned off by the police.
Investigators are still determining the nature of the injuries and the type of weapons involved in the case.
Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis also addressed the tragedy during his 2027 budget speech on Wednesday morning.
Frey stated, “I know that we stand with the people of Hopkins and all the affected families. Our prayers are with them. I’ve been in direct contact with Mayor Patrick Hanlon and have expressed that we will do everything we can to provide assistance.”
Mary Moriarty, the prosecutor for Hennepin County, mentioned that her office is “coordinating with the Hopkins police for the investigation” and that “victim services are prepared to offer support to those affected by this incident.”