I hate to speculate on these things, in large because I'm woefully unqualified. But I suspect that it may be due to his religious beliefs. He could've believed

I hate to speculate on these things, in large because I'm woefully unqualified. But I suspect that it may be due to his religious beliefs. He could've believed that he was going to being his children with him to heaven. Of course it's not a rational thought, even in the context of Christianity and their beliefs of afterlife, but suicidal people are rarely rational actors.