Hopkins man charged with murder and manslaughter in girlfriend’s fatal shooting
Hopkins man Krystofer Patrick Brooks, 20, has been charged in Hennepin County with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter after his girlfriend was fatally shot in the eye. Brooks told investigators he twice pulled the trigger while handling a 9mm handgun he believed was unloaded — saying the incident occurred after returning from errands, playing video games and preparing for work when he tried to clear the firearm in a dark bedroom — and officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic at the scene; Brooks has a permit to carry.
📌 Key Facts
- 20-year-old Krystofer Patrick Brooks of Hopkins, Minnesota, is formally charged in Hennepin County with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.
- Brooks is accused in the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, who was struck in the eye.
- Brooks told investigators he twice pulled the trigger while handling a 9mm handgun he believed was unloaded; the second shot hit his girlfriend in the eye.
- Police say the shooting followed a sequence in which the couple returned from errands, played video games, and Brooks, preparing for work, attempted to clear the firearm in a dark bedroom.
- Officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun at the scene, and Brooks had a permit to carry.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, at least 31 Minnesotans died as a result of intimate partner violence, with the vast majority being women and nearly a fourth being Black women, despite Black women comprising approximately 3.5% of Minnesota's population (based on Black population ~7% and half female).
At least 31 Minnesotans died of intimate partner violence last year — MPR News
In Minnesota, unintentional firearm-related fatalities accounted for 2% of all firearm fatalities between 2013 and 2022, with homicides making up 21% and suicides 76%.
Data Brief: Firearm-Related Injury in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Health
In Minnesota, the firearm death rate is highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native individuals at 27.8 per 100,000, compared to 11.3 for non-Hispanic White, 25.1 for non-Hispanic Black, and lower for other groups.
Explore Firearm Deaths in Minnesota — America's Health Rankings
Nationally, 92% of homicides of Black females are intra-racial, with firearms used in 58% of female homicides.
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2019 Homicide Data — Violence Policy Center
In Minneapolis, 83% of shooting victims in 2022 were Black, despite Black individuals comprising about 18% of the city's population.
City of Minneapolis 2022 Gun Violence Overview — City of Minneapolis
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the suspect as 20-year-old Krystofer Patrick Brooks of Hopkins.
- Reports Brooks is formally charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in Hennepin County.
- Details Brooks’ account that he twice pulled the trigger while handling a 9mm handgun he believed was unloaded, with the second shot striking his girlfriend in the eye.
- Describes sequence of events: returning from errands, playing video games, Brooks preparing for work and attempting to clear the firearm in a dark bedroom.
- Notes that officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun at the scene and that Brooks has a permit to carry.