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Police Link Daycare Murder-Suicide to Burnsville Killing

8/14/2026

25 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Nathan Brown Murder

Nathan Brown stabbed his wife Kristen Brown and their daughter Evie to death at the daycare on August 12, 2026, then shot himself.
Six other children were reunited with parents after a father heard screams, called 911 and fled with kids and two others.
Police link the murder-suicide to a killing of a 78-year-old relative in Burnsville.
Investigators seized a note and a screwdriver, have not released the note’s contents.

Summary

Mayor Hanlon Responds

Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon said the community is “reeling” and noted that such violence is rare in the city’s 20,000 residents.
Brown Bear Childcare has been state-licensed since 2019 and passed inspections in 2023-2025.
The center operated in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with 1,800 sq ft of play space.
Police reminded residents that the 988 suicide-and-crisis lifeline is available by call, text or online chat.

History

Historical Context

On April 20 1999, seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado, wounding about 23 others. The attack sparked nationwide school-security reforms and, by June 2025, inspired more than 70 copycat shootings. The recent Hopkins daycare slaying echoes that legacy, prompting Congress and the Minnesota Senate to consider stricter mental-health screening and childcare oversight.

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Nathan Brown Murder

Nathan Brown stabbed his wife Kristen Brown and their daughter Evie to death at the daycare on August 12, 2026, then shot himself.
Six other children were reunited with parents after a father heard screams, called 911 and fled with kids and two others.
Police link the murder-suicide to a killing of a 78-year-old relative in Burnsville.
Investigators seized a note and a screwdriver, have not released the note’s contents.

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