The quiet Minneapolis suburb of Hopkins, Minnesota, is grappling with an unimaginable nightmare. What began as a routine morning drop-off at a local home daycare quickly unspooled into a horrific crime scene, leaving a community searching for answers in the wake of a devastating murder-suicide.
Here is a breakdown of what happened, the terrifying moments captured by witnesses, and the chilling connections investigators are currently piecing together.
The Horror at Brown Bear Childcare
On Wednesday morning, a parent arriving to drop off two children at Brown Bear Childcare—operated out of a family basement by 41-year-old Kristen Brown—heard terrifying screams echoing from the lower level.
According to search warrants and police records, the parent rushed inside and initially thought the husband, 41-year-old Nathan Brown, was performing CPR. Tragically, the horrifying reality set in almost immediately: Nathan was actively attacking his wife and their 7-year-old daughter, Evie, with a screwdriver.
The quick-thinking parent dialed 911 and fled the house with their own children, along with two other kids present in the home. In total, six children were inside the residence during the attack. Miraculously, none of the other children were physically harmed.
Following the assault, Nathan Brown retreated upstairs to a closet, where he fatally shot himself.
A Connection to a Second Murder
As if the scene at the daycare wasn't devastating enough, investigators quickly uncovered a secondary, grim crime scene.
Authorities believe that prior to the Hopkins attack, Nathan Brown murdered a 78-year-old female relative at her home in Burnsville, located about 20 miles away. Nathan had reportedly been living at that residence recently. Police have withheld the victim's identity pending family notification, but the grim link has turned this localized tragedy into a multi-jurisdictional murder investigation.
Warning Signs and Looming Closure
Why did this happen? Investigators are still hunting for a definitive motive, noting that there was no prior history of police calls to the Hopkins address. However, newly released documents paint a picture of a breaking relationship.
Court records and search warrants reveal that Kristen Brown had recently sent a letter to parents informing them that the daycare would soon be closing, explicitly citing "relationship issues with Nathan."
For a community that knew Kristen as a dedicated educator with a degree in elementary education foundations from the University of Minnesota—someone who poured her heart into running Brown Bear Childcare since 2019—the loss is profound. Friends, family, and parents are left picking up the pieces of an unthinkable catastrophe.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
