Marcel Ndossoka, 8, and Anna-Belle Faith Ndossoka, 1, were found dead in southwest Houston on Saturday.
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Their father, 62-year-old Jean Pierre Ndossoka, has been charged with capital murder in their deaths.
Jean Pierre is accused of killing the children inside his apartment at 10919 Fondren around 4:40 p.m.
The children had been visiting their father, at his request. Jean Pierre and his wife are separated. Police said their mother brought them to the apartment Saturday morning. By the afternoon, he called her up and said he was going to kill the kids and that he would kill himself.
That's when she called police and raced to the apartment complex.
Police say the children had severe injuries to their necks.
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After the stabbing, Jean Pierre was found inside his vehicle in Pasadena around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Authorities said he suffered a non-fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound after trying to commit suicide.
He was transported to Clear Lake Regional hospital in stable condition.
The couple emigrated to the U.S. from the Congo several years ago, and are naturalized citizens. Patrice Nsuary is a cousin of the mother, who described Jean Pierre as verbally abusive to his estranged wife.
"I came down here to talk to both of them about the marriage. In Africa, we talk to both the man and wife," Nsuary said. "I spoke to him yesterday, and he seemed fine."
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"They were good, normal kids," he said. A family friend described Anna-Belle Faith as "a beautiful child." A young boy referred to Marcel, saying he was "just like a brother."
The kids moved with their mother when she left Jean Pierre, "but he wanted to see the children every day," said Nsuary.
"He'd take them to McDonald's. Yesterday, I saw him with his son at the grocery store, and he seemed fine," Nsuary said.
Jean Pierre has been charged with two counts of capital murder under 10 years old.