Overview
- A parent arriving at the Browns' in‑home daycare on Wednesday, Aug. 12, heard children screaming, saw a man attacking a woman and child, removed children and called 911, and officers later found the woman and child dead while the man was found dead from an apparent self‑inflicted gunshot.
- The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Aug. 14 identified the victims and alleged perpetrator as Kristen Ann Brown, 41; Evie Ann Brown, 7; and Nathan Matthew Brown, 41.
- Search warrant filings say the witness reported the man was 'actively stabbing' the woman with a screwdriver, investigators recovered a screwdriver at the scene, and six other children who were in the daycare were unharmed and reunited with their families.
- Authorities say a 78‑year‑old relative, Alice Anne Brown, was later found fatally stabbed in Burnsville and that investigators believe her death is connected to the Hopkins killings as the probe continues.
- Domestic violence experts and local groups have noted that murder‑suicides often follow hidden, escalating abuse, and the community has mobilized victim services, a small memorial at the daycare, and resources for families affected by the deaths.