A Houston mother shot her 4-year-old daughter, Vivian Savella, and then shot herself after a custody hearing that granted primary care to the girl's father; the mother later died in hospital. Police are investigating the deaths as an apparent murder‑suicide. Court records show the judge limited the mother's contact to supervised visits and gave the father temporary, exclusive decision-making authority. Family members have asked for privacy while they grieve.
After Custody Ruling, Houston Mother Kills 4-Year-Old Daughter and Dies in Apparent Murder‑Suicide
Cibelle Savella, Vivian Savella
A Houston mother shot and killed her 4-year-old daughter on Tuesday evening and later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being taken to a hospital, police said. Authorities are treating the deaths as an apparent murder‑suicide that occurred after a family custody hearing earlier that day.
The child was identified as Vivian Savella, age 4. Initial reports listed the mother's age as 30 and said she would survive; a Houston Police Department update on Thursday corrected the mother's age to 35 and said she died in hospital the following day. Local reporting has named the mother as Cibelle Savella.
According to Houston police, a judge at a custody hearing on Tuesday ordered that Vivian would primarily live with her father, Aaron Savella. The order granted him temporary, exclusive authority to decide where the child would live and to make decisions regarding her schooling and medical care.
'There was a custody hearing earlier today that didn't go well for the mother,' Houston police Lt. Larry Crowson said. 'She came home, shot her 4‑year‑old, and then shot herself.'
Police said they responded around 5:45 p.m. to a townhome at Terra Reserve Place near North Kirkwood Road in Houston's Memorial neighborhood. At the time of the shooting, the girl's stepfather and a babysitter were downstairs. They heard gunshots, forced entry into the child's third-floor bedroom and found Vivian and her mother. The stepfather attempted CPR on Vivian, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother was transported to a hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.
Court Order And Restrictions
Court records cited by local outlets said the judge limited the mother's contact to supervised visits and gave the father temporary exclusive decision-making authority over residence, schooling and medical care. The documents reportedly required continuous supervision for visits, allowed the mother to speak Portuguese to her daughter only when a Portuguese‑speaking supervisor was present, barred her from attending school performances and extracurricular activities, and ordered her to pay child support and half of medical expenses not covered by insurance.
The filings did not immediately explain the specific reasons for those restrictions. Attorneys said the court-appointed agency to supervise visitation had not yet been notified because the order was so recent, and the custody order did not specify how the exchange of the child should occur.
Background And Reactions
The parents divorced in November 2024 after four years of marriage and had been engaged in an ongoing custody dispute. Aaron Savella's attorney, Charlotte Rainwater, said nothing in the courtroom indicated such a violent outcome. The child's extended family issued a statement through their lawyers saying Vivian 'was loved without limit' and asking for privacy as they grieve.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shootings. Authorities have released limited identifying details about the mother and said the cases are being treated as a murder‑suicide pending further investigation.
Help us improve.
