MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in a Minneapolis neighborhood early Monday morning when 50-year-old Scott Joseph Devery reportedly shot and killed his 2-year-old daughter, Kinsley Prinsen, before turning the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide, police confirmed.
The fatal incident occurred just after midnight at a residence on the 2900 block of Colfax Avenue North. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the home around 12:20 a.m. on June 9, where they discovered Devery and the young child dead from gunshot wounds.
Tragically, the child’s mother, Trisha Ann Prinsen, was present in the home at the time of the shooting but was physically unharmed. The scene, authorities say, was deeply traumatic.
“This is an unimaginable, heartbreaking tragedy,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “Our hearts go out to the child’s mother as she endures this overwhelming loss, and to the officers and investigators who responded to such a devastating scene.”
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will officially determine the cause and manner of death, but initial evidence points to a murder-suicide.
According to authorities, no prior calls for domestic violence or disturbances were reported at the residence, and the motive behind the horrific act remains unknown. The MPD continues to investigate and is urging anyone with relevant information to come forward.
In a public post on a fundraising platform, Trisha Ann Prinsen shared the unimaginable grief she now faces. “I’m the mother of my beautiful angel, Kinsley Prinsen, who was fatally shot and killed by her father, and then he killed himself in front of me,” she wrote.
Kinsley, remembered by loved ones as a sweet and joyful toddler, had her life cut tragically short in a moment that has left family, friends, and the wider Minneapolis community in shock and mourning.
Support services and counseling have been made available for family members and first responders affected by the tragedy. Authorities are also using the moment to stress the importance of mental health awareness and resources for families in crisis.
As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with the loss of a young life and the devastating impact of domestic violence.