Skylar Katherine Kiehl, 19, was fatally shot in an apartment on the 1300 block of Cambridge Street in Hopkins on January 3, 2026. Described as happy and bubbly and a 2024 graduate of Simley High School, she enjoyed singing, reading, painting and camping and is mourned by an extensive family and many friends.

Skylar’s 20-year-old boyfriend, Krystofer Patrick Brooks, called 911 and told police the shooting was accidental, saying the gun discharged while he was cleaning or unloading it and that he did not know Skylar had sat up. Investigators found inconsistencies with that account: the body’s location and the lack of blood near the window didn’t fit the statement, and the handgun was found on a chair with the hammer cocked, a loaded magazine inserted and a round in the chamber. Text messages recovered from Brooks included him saying I just killed Skyler on accident omg.. .. The gun should have been empty.

Brooks was arrested and on January 6, 2026 was charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter; bail was set at $500,000. Does anyone have information about Skylar, her last movements that day, or the neighborhood that could help clarify what happened?