MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man used a screwdriver to fatally stab his wife and their 7-year-old daughter inside a Minnesota daycare Wednesday morning before killing himself, according to a search warrant released Thursday.
The Hennepin County search warrant obtained by The Associated Press identified the man as Nathan Brown, 41. It says he stabbed his wife, 41-year-old Kristen Brown, and their daughter, Evie Brown, inside the daycare that Kristen Brown operated out of the family's basement in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. He then fatally shot himself in an upstairs closet.
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Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson speaks during a news conference after a stabbing at a daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek)
Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek)
Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith, right, attends a news conference in Hopkins, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, where police said a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at an in-home daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old female relative. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Hopkins police said in a statement Thursday that they are still investigating.
According to police records, a father dropping off two of his children for daycare heard screams coming from the basement. The father entered the home and initially thought Nathan Brown was performing CPR before realizing it was an attack. The witness called 911 and fled with his children and two other children.
Authorities said Wednesday that they believe Nathan Brown earlier killed a 78-year-old relative at her home in Burnsville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Hopkins. Nathan Brown had recently been living there, investigators said. Police have not released the woman’s identity or said how she was related to Brown.
The warrant says the parent who witnessed the daycare attack told investigators that Kristen Brown had recently sent parents a letter that the daycare would soon be closing, citing “relationship issues with Nathan.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
Six other children were present, but none were physically harmed, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any information about a potential motive for the killings. They said there was no history of police calls to the Hopkins address.
Records show that Kristen Brown had been licensed by the state since 2019. The daycare had a capacity of 10 children and was found to be in compliance during visits in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Family members of Kristen Brown declined to comment on Thursday.
Kristen Brown opened Brown Bear Childcare a few months after giving birth to Evie. In a 2019 post on the daycare’s Facebook page, Brown wrote that she hoped to help her daughter and other children “blossom into happy, intelligent, caring individuals.”
Kristen Brown had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education foundations from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and was certified in vision therapy, according to her daycare’s Facebook page. She incorporated music and cooking classes into her days with the children and would take them on field trips to a science museum and an orchard.
Rico reported from Atlanta.
Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson speaks during a news conference after a stabbing at a daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek)
Law enforcement respond to a call at a home daycare, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Hopkins, Minn. (AP Photo/Carly Danek)
Burnsville Police Chief Matt Smith, right, attends a news conference in Hopkins, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, where police said a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at an in-home daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old female relative. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Amy Hunt pulled away from British teammate Dina Asher-Smith down the home straight to win the 200-meter final Thursday for her second gold medal this week at the European Championships.
Hunt, who won the 100-meter title on Monday, drew even with Asher-Smith around the turn and eventually edged ahead to finish in 22.19 seconds at Alexander Stadium.
Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke made a late surge to take silver, with Asher-Smith settling for bronze.
“I’m so incredibly proud of myself especially to do it here at home in front of this incredible crowd," Hunt said.
The 24-year-old Hunt is shooting for four gold medals in Birmingham. She's set to compete in two relays.
“I am only 50% through as I have set out for the full set of four golds. Now I am incredibly excited for the relays because I get to do them and have so much fun with my friends," said Hunt, the surprise silver medalist in the 200 at the world championships last September in Tokyo.
Asher-Smith completed the same sprint double in 2018 in Berlin.
Mark English won the men's 800-meter final to become the first Irish man to win a European championships gold medal.
The 33-year-old English — a doctor — rounded the final turn and passed Croatia's Marino Bloudek to cross the line in 1 minute, 45.26 seconds as a big contingent of Irish fans in Birmingham celebrated.
“It felt like half of Ireland was in the stadium tonight with the Irish singing,” English said. “I did not realize how many Irish were here until I saw all the flags when I got off the bus.”
English previously won bronze in the 2014 and 2022 editions.
“I really wanted that gold so badly. I had set everything out for this champs today. I did not want to finish my career without it,” English said.
Bloudek took silver and Spain's Mohamed Attaoui was third.
Swiss star Audrey Werro was given a spot in the 800-meter final after falling in her semifinal at the European championships.
The ruling keeps Werro on course for Friday night's gold medal showdown with reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol.
Werro was leading her heat at Alexander Stadium when she fell. Footage showed Anais Bourgoin's left hand making contact with Werro's right foot before Werro tumbled on the last bend.
In late June, Werro ran the third fastest women’s time ever: 1 minute, 53.80 seconds.
After Thursday's fall, she got up and jogged across the line in 2:35.35. She appealed her placing and was successfully advanced to the final.
She said, “Everything was good and suddenly I was on the ground. I just have some scratches and my bib number was ripped off but I’m OK. The body is fine.”
Hodgkinson, the Briton who has frequently talked about wanting to break the 800 world record, won the other semifinal heat in 1:57.38, just ahead of Broeders-Bol, who has impressed in her first year in the 800 after switching from the 400 hurdles.
The women’s 800 world record of 1:53:28 was set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova.
See AP’s full sports coverage here
Amy Hunt of Britain crosses the finish line to win the women's 200 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Amy Hunt of Britain poses with her gold medal after winning the women's 200 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)
Mark English of Ireland celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's 800 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, Amy Hunt of Britain and Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland, cross the finish line to win in the women's 200 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Amy Hunt of Britain poses with her gold medal after winning the women's 200 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)
Netherlands' Femke Broeders-Bol and Britain's Keely Hodgkinson compete in a women's 800 meters semifinal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Switzerland's Audrey Werro reacts after crossing the finish line in last place after falling to the ground during a women's 800 meters semifinal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Switzerland's Audrey Werro approaches the finish line in last place after falling to the ground during a women's 800 meters semifinal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
