A man identified as Nathan Brown, 41, killed his wife, Kristen Brown, 41, and their 7-year-old daughter, Evie, with a screwdriver before taking his own life in a murder-suicide incident in Hopkins, Minnesota. The attack occurred Wednesday morning as a parent was dropping off a child at the couple's in-home daycare, Brown Bear Childcare.
According to Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson, the parent witnessed the attack and heard children screaming before fleeing the scene with several children and calling 911. By the time police arrived, Nathan Brown was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Six other children who were present in the daycare were unharmed and reunited with their families.
Kristen Brown had texted a friend approximately 20 minutes before the incident, stating that her marriage was “crazy” and that she planned to close her daycare business on August 27. The daycare was operated out of the couple's home, which Nathan Brown owned.
Hours after the attack in Hopkins, police were alerted that Nathan Brown had also fatally stabbed his mother, 78-year-old Alice Brown, at her home in Burnsville. Authorities believe Nathan Brown was living with his mother at the time of the murders.
Police have not yet identified a specific motive for the spree. "This is an extremely tragic event for Hopkins and for any community," Johnson stated at a press conference. "The victims are all valued members of the Hopkins community. Any event involving the loss of life is a difficult process, but when children are involved, it's especially devastating."
Mention of the daycare is accompanied by an image: