Hopkins daycare-Burnsville Brown family killings: sister details warning signs as city prepares vigil
Three members of the Brown family were found dead inside the licensed Brown Bear Daycare in Hopkins in an apparent murder-suicide.[1] The City of Hopkins scheduled a public vigil for Kristen and her daughter Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Park, and relatives asked for privacy while thanking the community.[2]
Kristen Brown's sister, Amanda Paulson, said Kristen was a peacemaker, that 7-year-old Evie loved dresses and jewelry, and that she had been nervous after the couple separated in April, fearing Nathan "might do something horrible." FOX 9
A parent witness told investigators he entered through a back door, heard children screaming, saw the man stabbing the woman and then the child, grabbed four children and fled before calling 911.[3] Officers later found Kristen and Evie dead on the kitchen floor, recovered a screwdriver, and located Nathan dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot in an upstairs closet.[1] Police say the Hopkins killings are linked to a Burnsville stabbing that left 78-year-old Alice Anne Brown dead, and they reiterated there is no ongoing threat to the public.[4]
FOX 9's coverage evolved from early headlines about an active, volatile scene to later reports that named the victims and cited court documents and the medical examiner.[1] Domestic-violence experts quoted in later reporting warned that abuse often goes unreported and that victims may avoid calling police out of fear, and the coverage included hotlines and resources for those in danger.[5]
Show source details & analysis (11 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- The Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the victims as Nathan Matthew Brown, 41; Kristen Ann Brown, 41; and their 7‑year‑old daughter Evie Ann Brown, and investigators say the man died of an apparent self‑inflicted gunshot in a likely murder‑suicide (Hennepin County Medical Examiner).
- Three people were found dead inside the in‑home, licensed Brown Bear Daycare at 236 Tyler Ave N in Hopkins; police say the attack began with stabbings and a screwdriver was recovered at the scene (Brown Bear Daycare at 236 Tyler Ave N).
- Seven children were at the daycare that morning — the couple’s 7‑year‑old daughter was killed while six other children were physically unharmed and later reunited with their families (Seven children).
- A parent witness told investigators he walked in through a back door, heard children screaming, saw the 41‑year‑old man stabbing the woman and then the child, grabbed his own two children and two others to flee, and called 911 as the attack unfolded (the parent witness).
- Authorities say the Hopkins killings are linked to a separate Burnsville stabbing homicide in which 78‑year‑old Alice Anne Brown was found dead, and police have reiterated there is no ongoing threat to the public (Alice Anne Brown, 78).
- A Hennepin County search warrant sought to seize the screwdriver, firearms and bullets, handwritten notes, electronics and home security cameras, and it includes a daycare newsletter saying the owner planned to close the business because of 'relationship issues' with Nathan Brown (Hennepin County search warrant).
- Friends and family say Kristen Brown had planned to close the daycare after separating from Nathan in April and to pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology; her sister Amanda Paulson said she had been nervous and feared Nathan 'might do something horrible' (Amanda Paulson).
- The City of Hopkins scheduled a public vigil for Kristen and Evie Brown for Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Park (40 9th Avenue South), and relatives issued a written statement asking for privacy while thanking the community and addressing daycare families as 'so very loved and considered family' (City of Hopkins set a public vigil).
- Domestic‑violence experts, including Violence Free Minnesota co‑executive director Katie Kramer, emphasized that abuse often goes unreported and described domestic homicide as an 'ultimate act of power and control'; the coverage also provided hotlines and resources for victims (Violence Free Minnesota co‑executive director Katie Kramer).
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
August 17, 2026
11:40 PM
'One of the best sisters you could ask for': Sister of Hopkins daycare victim speaks out
New information:
- Kristen Brown’s sister, Amanda Paulson, gives an extended on-camera account describing Kristen as a peacemaker and Evie as a "living Fancy Nancy" who loved jewelry and fancy dresses.
- Paulson confirms the couple had recently separated in April and that Nathan had been living with his mother, Alice Brown, in Burnsville since then.
- She states she had been nervous about the situation after the separation, saying she worried Nathan might “do something horrible,” but did not anticipate violence at the daycare.
- Paulson explicitly calls the daycare parent who walked in on the attack a "hero" for saving the other children, emphasizing that he rescued multiple kids even though he could not save Kristen and Evie.
- The family reiterates that Alice Brown, 78, was kind and soft‑spoken and should be remembered as a victim alongside Kristen and Evie, pushing back against any erasure of her role in coverage.
- The story notes Kristen had concrete plans to close Brown Bear Daycare and pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology.
- The piece again confirms a community vigil is being held Monday night in Hopkins for the murder‑suicide victims and notes the family’s request for privacy while thanking the community for support.
- Article closes with specific hotlines for domestic-violence victims, explicitly tying the case to broader DV risk and available resources.
August 15, 2026
10:25 PM
Family mourns Hopkins daycare victims after deadly violence
New information:
- Relatives of the Brown family issued a written statement through the Hopkins Police Department expressing heartbreak, asking for privacy, and specifically addressing Brown Bear Daycare families as 'so very loved and considered family.'
- FOX 9 reports that friends say Kristen Brown was attempting to close Brown Bear Daycare and escape the relationship, with the closure tied to Nathan Brown owning the house.
- Police say Nathan Brown had been living with his mother, 78-year-old Alice Anne Brown, in Burnsville before the murders; Alice was killed at the Burnsville home.
- The City of Hopkins scheduled a public vigil for Kristen and Evie Brown for Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Park (40 9th Avenue South).
August 14, 2026
8:38 PM
Hopkins daycare deaths: Victims, alleged perpetrator ID’d by medical examiner
New information:
- Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the adults as Nathan Matthew Brown, 41, and Kristen Ann Brown, 41, and the 7‑year‑old victim as Evie Ann Brown.
- The medical examiner also identified the related Burnsville homicide victim as Alice Anne Brown, 78, confirming the shared family name across the linked cases.
- Search warrant narrative spells out that a parent walked in through the back door, heard children screaming, and saw Nathan Brown on top of Kristen Brown, actively stabbing her with a screwdriver and then stabbing his daughter.
- The witness grabbed his own two children and two other daycare children, fled the house, and called 911 as the attack was unfolding.
- Officers later found Kristen and Evie dead on the kitchen floor, recovered a screwdriver at the scene, and found Nathan dead from an apparent self‑inflicted gunshot wound in an upstairs closet.
- The warrant notes the daycare owner had recently sent a newsletter saying she would close the daycare due to ‘relationship issues’ with Nathan, and that Nathan may recently have been living with Alice Brown in Burnsville.
2:55 AM
Hopkins daycare murder-suicide: No domestic violence record, but experts say abuse often goes unseen
New information:
- Police say there were no prior reports of domestic violence involving the Hopkins couple, despite what investigators describe as relationship problems.
- A search warrant states the wife planned to close her in-home daycare soon because of unspecified "relationship issues" with her husband.
- Violence Free Minnesota co-executive director Katie Kramer explains many domestic-violence victims choose not to report abuse out of fear calling law enforcement could escalate danger to themselves or their families.
- Violence Free Minnesota’s long-term tracking shows 231 domestic-violence-related homicide incidents leading to 267 deaths in Minnesota over four decades, with most suspects being men and most killings involving guns.
- Kramer characterizes domestic homicide as an "ultimate act of power and control" and notes perpetrators who die by suicide avoid accountability.
August 13, 2026
4:57 PM
Hopkins daycare deaths: Court docs reveal what unfolded inside the home
New information:
- A parent witness told investigators he entered through the back door, heard children screaming, and saw the 41-year-old man on top of the woman, actively stabbing her with a screwdriver.
- The same witness said he saw the man stab his 7-year-old daughter, then grabbed his own two children plus two other children and fled before calling 911.
- Officers later found the woman and girl dead on the kitchen floor and recovered a screwdriver at the scene; the man was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot inside an upstairs closet.
- The witness reported receiving a daycare newsletter about two weeks earlier in which the owner said she planned to close the daycare due to relationship issues with the man.
- The Hennepin County search warrant sought to seize the screwdriver, firearms and bullets, handwritten notes, electronics, home security cameras and other evidence from the Hopkins home.
4:39 PM
Hopkins daycare deaths: Memorial honoring victims setup outside daycare
New information:
- A memorial of flowers, candles, and stuffed animals has been set up outside Brown Bear Daycare on Tyler Avenue North in Hopkins.
- FOX 9 describes the memorial as arranged on a stone garden pond at the daycare property.
- The Hopkins mayor says the city is planning to hold a vigil to honor the victims in the coming days, with details still pending.
August 12, 2026
9:38 PM
Hopkins daycare deaths, Burnsville homicide involved the same family, authorities say
New information:
- Confirms the Hopkins deaths are a murder-suicide: the 41-year-old male suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after stabbing his 41-year-old wife and their 7-year-old daughter.
- Explicitly states the suspect was the father of the child and husband of the woman killed at Brown Bear Daycare; parents were married, though police say they do not know the exact state of the marriage.
- Identifies the Burnsville victim as a 78-year-old woman described as a "close family relative" of the suspect and notes he had recently lived in her home.
- Clarifies there were six other children present in the Hopkins daycare during the attack, all physically unharmed and reunited with families.
- Police say a family dropping off children at the daycare witnessed the incident, called 911, and provided information that confirmed the suspect is deceased.
- Authorities reiterate that the suspect is dead and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
8:53 PM
Burnsville homicide connected to Hopkins daycare deaths, police say
New information:
- Investigators believe the Hopkins daycare killings and a Burnsville stabbing homicide hours later are connected.
- Burnsville police confirm their case involves an adult female found dead of stab wounds at a Maple Island Road residence around 12:23 p.m., with no broader public threat indicated.
- Police from Burnsville will participate in a joint 4 p.m. press conference led by Hopkins PD to address both incidents together.
7:01 PM
Hopkins daycare deaths: What we know so far
New information:
- Confirms the incident was a stabbing; initial 911 calls referenced a stabbing at the daycare.
- Identifies the site as Brown Bear Daycare at 236 Tyler Ave N and notes it is an in-home, licensed daycare across from a park.
- Police now say the dead adults are believed to be the daycare owners and the child killed is believed to be their child; all three are believed to be members of one family.
- States investigators preliminarily believe the deceased adult male was the perpetrator and took his own life, indicating a likely murder-suicide.
- Clarifies that seven children were present at the daycare: one deceased, six physically unharmed and reunited with parents.
- Provides licensing history: daycare licensed since February 2019 to care for up to ten children (no more than six under school age), with three recent inspections (March 2023, Jan. 2024, Sept. 2025) and no recorded violations.
- Adds friend’s account that the female owner planned to close the daycare because she intended to leave her spouse, who owned the home, and that there were alleged relationship problems including potential abuse.
- Notes the police chief plans a follow-up briefing at 4 p.m. at Hopkins City Hall.
5:05 AM
Three dead at Hopkins home daycare in suspected domestic incident
New information:
- Confirms that three people were found dead inside the Hopkins in-home daycare residence, rather than merely an unspecified 'active' or 'volatile' scene.
- Reports that investigators are treating the case as a suspected domestic incident, indicating police do not believe this was a random attack on children or strangers.
- Clarifies that the children present at the daycare were physically unharmed and were reunited with their families after law enforcement secured the scene.