Daycare Owner Planned Closure Before Hopkins Family Killings

New court documents show a Hopkins daycare owner planned to close her business shortly before Wednesday’s murder-suicide.

A search warrant says Kristen Brown recently told families that Brown Bear Childcare would close because of problems in her marriage.

Investigators say a parent arrived shortly after 9 a.m., heard children screaming and found 41-year-old Nathan Brown attacking his wife and their 7-year-old daughter, Evie. The parent escaped with four children and called 9-1-1. Officers rescued two other children. None of the six children was physically injured.

Kristen and Evie Brown died at the scene. Nathan Brown was found upstairs with a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police believe he had earlier killed his 78-year-old mother, Alice Brown, at a Burnsville home where he had recently been staying. The motive remains under investigation.