Police say a man, woman and child are dead in what is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide Wednesday morning at a daycare in Hopkins that authorities say is linked to a homicide in Burnsville. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson said a parent dropping off his child at the residence in the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North reported a stabbing shortly after 9 a.m. Inside, police found a 41-year-old man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, a 41-year-old woman dead from apparent stab wounds, and a 7-year-old girl also dead from stab wounds. Chief Johnson said the three were all part of the same family. Investigators later linked the tragedy to another homicide in Burnsville. In that incident, the victim is believed to be “a close relative” of the suspect in the Hopkins tragedy, police say. Police dispute the link between the Hopkins murder-suicide and the Burnsville homicide. Details of the Hopkins Incident In addition to the three people found dead, police found six children inside the Hopkins daycare, all described as “very young” and physically unharmed. They are all back with their families, Johnson said. Johnson said the adults found dead are likely the owners of the daycare, and preliminary evidence indicates the deceased man was the “perpetrator.” At this time, police say there is no ongoing threat to the community, but the investigation remains active. Investigators are still working to determine the man’s motive. “There is no worse scenario than this,” Johnson said. “You leave your kids somewhere you think is safe and you get that phone call.” Reaction “This is a very close-knit community,” said Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon. “We don’t have strangers at Hopkins, we all know each other.” Hanlon added: “This city has shed many tears today over this incident, over this immense loss. It’s hard to put into words what this loss is for our community.” This morning a police officer came to his door and asked him if he heard anything in the house and he couldn’t believe it. “Oh my God, those poor kids. It’s just trauma, it’s pure… I can’t imagine it,” said Jean Healey, who also knew the couple who ran the daycare. One couple also told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they were considering sending their children to daycare. “It’s just shocking to hear what happened,” they said. The chief said this appeared to be an isolated incident and there were no further threats to the public. “It’s just shocking,” Healey added. “She seemed very friendly. She seemed fine. I just can’t believe that could happen in my neighborhood.” Investigators were still working to determine the nature of the injuries and what types of weapons were involved. During his 2027 budget speech Wednesday morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey offered his thoughts and prayers to those involved, also saying that Minneapolis will help Hopkins in any way possible. Police investigate Hopkins’ murder-suicide in his home daycare. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, there are several resources available to offer help. For immediate help, contact: More than 12 million people in the U.S. alone are affected by domestic violence each year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources such as safe shelter, advocacy, legal help, and support groups. The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to view them. Other organizations that can help include: Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for crime victims which can be found HERE. For related stories: Burnsville Crime Homicide Hopkins Homicide Investigation
