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Minnesota man suspected of killing three relatives at daycare and second location

Authorities in Minnesota identified a man as a suspect in the deaths of his wife, daughter, and an elderly relative in two separate incidents on Wednesday.

Published August 12, 2026 at 12:31 PM EDT

The short answer

Authorities in Minnesota identified a man as a suspect in the deaths of his wife, daughter, and an elderly relative in two separate incidents on Wednesday.

Minnesota man suspected of killing three relatives at daycare and second location

The Facts

Who
A Minnesota man (suspect), his wife, his 7-year-old daughter, and a 78-year-old relative.
What
A man killed his wife and 7-year-old daughter at a daycare and is suspected of killing a 78-year-old relative.
When
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Where
Hopkins, Minnesota
Why
Domestic violence incident resulting in three fatalities at two locations.

Police in Minnesota reported that a man killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at a daycare facility on Wednesday. The suspect is also linked to the death of a 78-year-old relative in a separate attack that occurred prior to the daycare shooting.

The events began in the city of Hopkins, where authorities were called to a local daycare center following reports of gunfire. Officers discovered the bodies of a woman and a young girl upon arrival at the scene.

According to investigators, the suspect fled the daycare and was later identified in connection with another homicide involving an elderly relative. Police stated the 78-year-old victim was found dead in a different location, though specific details regarding the cause of death in that case were not immediately released.

Residents in the Hopkins area and families using local daycare services will notice an immediate increase in law enforcement presence and potential disruptions to childcare schedules as investigations continue. For the families directly involved, the loss of a primary caregiver, a child, and an elderly family member represents a total loss of household stability. These events often prompt local municipalities to review emergency response times and public safety alerts for residential and school-adjacent areas.

The incident sets a precedent for how local law enforcement coordinates between multiple active crime scenes involving domestic relations. The knock-on effects include the long-term psychological impact on children who were present at the daycare and the potential for civil litigation regarding facility security. What happens next involves the formal filing of charges against the suspect, who is currently in custody, and the release of official autopsy reports to confirm the causes of death. No specific court dates have been reported yet.

Summaries are written by The Plain Record to state the facts of a story plainly and without political slant. See our editorial standards, or report a correction.

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Questions readers ask

What happened: Minnesota man suspected of killing three relatives at daycare and second location?

A man killed his wife and 7-year-old daughter at a daycare and is suspected of killing a 78-year-old relative.

Who is involved?

A Minnesota man (suspect), his wife, his 7-year-old daughter, and a 78-year-old relative.

When did this happen?

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Where did this happen?

Hopkins, Minnesota

Why does this matter?

Domestic violence incident resulting in three fatalities at two locations.