Two children were checked out of school by their father in Bradley County on Tuesday morning and killed.
Police shot and killed the father, who was identified as Tracy Thacker.
Bradley County authorities said the incident happened at 972 Hancock Road.
They said Thacker went to the Michigan Avenue Elementary School about 10 a.m. and signed out his daughter, 8-year-old Marylan Renee Thacker, and son, 5-year-old Carson Wade Thacker.
Carson had been due to celebrate his sixth birthday on Thursday.
Authorities were alerted to the situation by a call from a family member who lives in Sullivan County. The family member reported that Thacker had called to say he was going to check his kids out of school and kill them.
Officers said they tried to talk to Thacker and then saw smoke and found he had set the home on fire. Thacker came outside with a bloodied knife, making theats to officers. He was then shot and killed.
Authorities found the two children dead inside the home.
They were apparently stabbed and the suffered from smoke inhalation.
Officials said Thacker and his wife were in the process of getting a divorce.
They said there was evidence he had been plotting the murder of the children.
Officers said they went to the Thacker home on domestic disturbances in May and in October.