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Fort Worth father died by suicide after setting car on fire with his two children inside, officials say

Mandeep Singh's son and daughter were found dead inside a burning car in rural Cooke County. His body was discovered nearby.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Updated at 10:41 a.m. Tuesday with identifying information of children.

Officials are investigating the deaths of two children found inside a burning vehicle in Cooke County and their father discovered dead nearby as a murder-suicide. 

Mandeep Singh's body was found Monday in a heavily wooded area near where his children's bodies were discovered inside a burning car Sunday in rural Cooke County near the Oklahoma border. 

The 37-year-old father lit the car on fire. He was found dead from a single gunshot wound, according to the Cooke County's Sheriff's office. 

His children, 3-year-old Mehar Kaur Birring and 4-year-old Aijit Singh Birring, were found dead in the backseat of the burning car. Their causes of death have not been determined, officials said. 

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed the agency is investigating the deaths of the two children. 

Family and friends were gathered Monday at the Fort Worth home where Singh once raised his two children. Their cries could be heard from outside. 

Court records show Singh had recently been divorced, and his ex-wife had recently obtained a restraining order against him that mandated no contact, except regarding their children. 

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CPS said that they had previous contact with the couple before they separated, but it never involved injuries to the children.

Singh had recently moved to a new home in Fort Worth, not far from the address where he had lived before with his family.  

Neighbors said that he had lived in the house for several years, and they were aware that police had been called to the house at times. But they said that he appeared to be a normal and caring father.

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"Your everyday parent," neighbor Ivan Perez said. "I never thought he could burn a car."

Perez said Singh would often be outside with his kids, and he was also known to play pickup basketball games with neighborhood teenagers.

An individual who answered the door at Singh's new address declined to comment to WFAA, and friends at Singh's ex-wife's home said she was asking for privacy at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for new information. Download our free WFAA app to stay up-to-date on all news stories in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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