Man kills partner and child at Minnesota daycare, then dies by suicide

A man fatally shot his partner and their young child at a daycare center in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Wednesday before committing suicide, authorities reported. The incident occurred at the Brown Bear Childcare facility, a suburb of Minneapolis.

Six other children were present at the daycare during the attack. Fortunately, none of them sustained any physical injuries and have since been reunited with their parents. Police were alerted to the situation when a father, arriving to drop off his child, witnessed the horrific event.

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There is no worse scenario than this, where you leave your child somewhere you think is safe, and you receive that phone call.

Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson described the response as a "worst-case scenario," expressing empathy for parents who entrust their children to what they believe is a safe environment. The exact cause of death for the victims was not immediately disclosed. Authorities are investigating the relationship between the two adults who owned the daycare, though it is believed the deceased child was theirs.

Johnson characterized the murders as "unusual" for the area, noting the profound shock experienced by the responding officers. He acknowledged the traumatic nature of the scene, stating it would be an event officers remember for their careers, and possibly their lives.

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I saw it in their faces, that this was going to be one of those episodes that they will remember for their entire careers, perhaps for their entire lives.