Horror Inside: Family Slain At Daycare

Police say a father killed his wife and 7-year-old daughter at a Hopkins home daycare, then died by a self-inflicted gunshot, and a linked stabbing in Burnsville left a fourth family member dead the same day.

Story Snapshot

Three people died at a Hopkins in-home daycare; six other children were unharmed.
Police say the 41-year-old man fatally shot himself after stabbing his wife and child.
Hours later, a 78-year-old woman was found stabbed to death in Burnsville and linked to the case.
Officials said there was no ongoing threat to the public as investigations continued.

What Police Say Happened in Hopkins

Hopkins police responded Wednesday morning to a home on Tyler Avenue North that also operated as a daycare. Officers found three people dead: a 41-year-old man with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, a 41-year-old woman, and a 7-year-old girl with apparent stab wounds. Six other children were present and were not hurt, according to officials, who said investigators believed the three were from the same family. Police said they viewed the scene as a domestic homicide and suicide.

Officials said the man was the suspected attacker and died by his own gun after stabbing his wife and daughter. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson told reporters the event appeared isolated and tied to a domestic situation at the in-home daycare. Authorities stressed that all surviving children at the daycare were safely reunited with their families. Names were withheld pending family notifications, which is standard practice in early stages of such cases.

The Linked Burnsville Homicide the Same Day

Hours after the Hopkins discovery, police in Burnsville found a 78-year-old woman dead from stabbing wounds at a separate home. Investigators said they believed this homicide was linked to the Hopkins case and that the Hopkins suspect had been staying with a close family relative, consistent with the Burnsville victim’s profile. Authorities did not detail the exact family tie. Police in both cities said they did not see any ongoing public threat as they processed both scenes.

Call logs and timelines released in local reporting place the Burnsville response at about 12:23 p.m., within hours of the Hopkins killings. That tight window supports the police assessment that the two crime scenes are connected. While investigators worked to confirm the full sequence and motive, officials focused on establishing safety for nearby residents and for families connected to the daycare. This is a common practice during multi-scene family violence cases.

Why This Case Hits a Nerve

The setting was a home daycare, a place families trust with their children. Police said six children present were not injured, which is a relief, but the trauma is real for parents, neighbors, and the wider community. The case tracks with a broader pattern seen in domestic homicide and murder-suicide events, where early facts come from police briefings, names are withheld, and motive is unclear at first. That does not reduce the harm felt by those who rely on basic public safety every day.

‼️ MINNESOTA MAN STABS WIFE AND YOUNG DAUGHTER TO DEATH INSIDE HOME DAYCARE BEFORE ENDING HIS OWN LIFE

HOPKINS, Minn. — A Minnesota father allegedly stabbed his wife and young daughter to death inside a home daycare Wednesday morning before turning a gun on himself — a horrific… pic.twitter.com/mDcN2CJoWK

— Echoes of Humanity (@wrldcrimediges) August 13, 2026

Across the political spectrum, people see stories like this and wonder whether leaders focus on root causes. Families want better tools to spot danger at home and faster access to help when relationships turn violent. Past Minnesota cases show these tragedies are often domestic in nature, not random attacks, and can escalate fast. Officials urged calm and said the threat had passed, but the hard work is preventing the next family from facing this same pain.

What We Know and What Comes Next

Police identified the Hopkins deaths as a domestic homicide and suicide, with the man dying from a self-inflicted gunshot after stabbing his wife and daughter. Investigators tied the Burnsville stabbing death of a 78-year-old woman to the Hopkins suspect based on family links and timing. Officials said there was no ongoing public threat and that the remaining children were safe. The motive had not been established in the initial reports, and the investigation remained active.