Man used a screwdriver to kill his wife and daughter at a Minnesota daycare, police say

Man used a screwdriver to kill his wife and daughter at a Minnesota daycare, police say 1 of 6 | Police in Minnesota say a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at a daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old relative in a separate attack. Police said Wednesday that the 41-year-old father fatally shot himself after stabbing his wife and the child at a home in Hopkins where she operated a daycare. 2 of 6 | Police say a man killed his partner and child at a home daycare they own in Minnesota before taking his life. The killings happened Wednesday in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. (AP Video: Mark Vancleave) 3 of 6 | Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith, right, attends a news conference in Hopkins, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, where police said a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at an in-home daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old female relative. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) 4 of 6 | Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) 5 of 6 | Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) 6 of 6 | Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson speaks during a news conference after a stabbing at a daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) 1 of 6 Police in Minnesota say a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at a daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old relative in a separate attack. Police said Wednesday that the 41-year-old father fatally shot himself after stabbing his wife and the child at a home in Hopkins where she operated a daycare. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 6 Police say a man killed his partner and child at a home daycare they own in Minnesota before taking his life. The killings happened Wednesday in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. (AP Video: Mark Vancleave) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 6 | Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith, right, attends a news conference in Hopkins, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, where police said a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at an in-home daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old female relative. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) 3 of 6 Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith, right, attends a news conference in Hopkins, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, where police said a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at an in-home daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old female relative. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 6 | Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) 4 of 6 Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 6 | Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) 5 of 6 Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 6 of 6 | Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson speaks during a news conference after a stabbing at a daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) 6 of 6 Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson speaks during a news conference after a stabbing at a daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Minneapolis (AP) — A man used a screwdriver to fatally stab his wife and their 7-year-old daughter inside a Minnesota daycare Wednesday morning before killing himself, according to a search warrant released Thursday.The Hennepin County search warrant obtained by The Associated Press identified the man as Nathan Brown, 41. It says he stabbed his wife, 41-year-old Kristen Brown, and their daughter, Evie Brown, inside the daycare that Kristen Brown operated out of the family’s basement in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. He then fatally shot himself in an upstairs closet. Hopkins police said in a statement Thursday that they are still investigating. According to police records, a father dropping off two of his children for daycare heard screams coming from the basement. The father entered the home and initially thought Nathan Brown was performing CPR before realizing it was an attack. The witness called 911 and fled with his children and two other children. Authorities said Wednesday that they believe Nathan Brown earlier killed a 78-year-old relative at her home in Burnsville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Hopkins. Nathan Brown had recently been living there, investigators said. Police have not released the woman’s identity or said how she was related to Brown.The warrant says the parent who witnessed the daycare attack told investigators that Kristen Brown had recently sent parents a letter that the daycare would soon be closing, citing “relationship issues with Nathan.” ___ EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.___Six other children were present, but none were physically harmed, authorities said. Authorities have not released any information about a potential motive for the killings. They said there was no history of police calls to the Hopkins address. Records show that Kristen Brown had been licensed by the state since 2019. The daycare had a capacity of 10 children and was found to be in compliance during visits in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Family members of Kristen Brown declined to comment on Thursday. Kristen Brown opened Brown Bear Childcare a few months after giving birth to Evie. In a 2019 post on the daycare’s Facebook page, Brown wrote that she hoped to help her daughter and other children “blossom into happy, intelligent, caring individuals.”Kristen Brown had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education foundations from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and was certified in vision therapy, according to her daycare’s Facebook page. She incorporated music and cooking classes into her days with the children and would take them on field trips to a science museum and an orchard.Rico reported from Atlanta.