Three people, including a child, were found dead Wednesday morning at an in-home daycare in Minnesota, in what police are describing as a suspected domestic murder-suicide.
Police were called shortly after 9 a.m. local to the Brown Bear Childcare in Hopkins, roughly 15 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Authorities said a man appeared to have killed a woman and a child before taking his own life. Investigators have not yet released the names or ages of those who died. The two adults who died are believed to have owned and operated the daycare.
A parent who arrived to drop off a child at the daycare witnessed the attack and contacted police.
Several other children were inside the daycare at the time. Authorities said the children who survived were not injured and were safely reunited with their parents.
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson described the incident as deeply disturbing and a “rarity” in the typically quiet and safe neighborhood, adding that responding officers were particularly shaken by what they encountered at the home.
“There’s no worse scenario than this, where you drop off your child somewhere you think is safe, and you get that phone call,” Johnson told local media during a news conference Wednesday.
Early reports circulating online had described the incident as a stabbing, but authorities have not confirmed that account. Police have declined to publicly identify the weapon or provide details about how the victims were killed while the investigation continues.
The police chief vowed to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.
“I think we can all relate who have children, and those who don’t, that this is a tragic situation anywhere in the world, let alone here in Hopkins,” he said.
The brown, two-story house has a mural on the garage door of a tree-lined lake and a moose.
“A warm, caring environment to help children learn and grow,” the description of the daycare states on Facebook. It also describes the daycare as a licensed home center with a separate entrance and 1,800 square feet of dedicated play space and specialized curriculum.
The probe into the incident remains active and officials are expected to provide additional information as detectives work to establish the exact sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.