HOUSTON, TX - A four-year-old girl was found dead of a gunshot wound on Tuesday, September 29, just four hours after a custody hearing. The little girl was allegedly shot and killed by her mother, who then suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.
The incident happened around 5:45 p.m., when police responded to a report of a shooting at a townhome inside a gated community in the 300 block of Terra Reserve Place, Houston Police Lieutenant Larry Crowson said at a press conference, PEOPLE reported. Upon arriving on scene, officers found the little girl, later identified as Vivian Savella, dead with at least one gunshot wound.
Her mother suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and was rushed to the hospital, where she was initially listed in critical condition. She died the next day, authorities confirmed.
Vivian's mother was engaged in a custody battle with the girl's father, Crowson said. "She became distraught and shot her child,” he said. In court on Tuesday, Aaron Savella, the girl's father, was granted temporary custody and the right to determine his daughter's primary residence and make decisions about her medical care and education.
Under the temporary order, Vivian's mother, identified as a 35-year-old woman, was limited to supervised visits with her daughter. According to a statement from the little girl's family, Vivian was supposed to return home with her father on Tuesday night.
"Our family is devastated. Vivian was 4 years old,” her family said in a statement released through attorneys on Wednesday. “She was loved without limit by her father, Aaron, and by everyone whose life she touched."
The attorney, Charlotte Rainwater, said the family never expected Tuesday's custody proceedings to end in tragedy, KHOU reported. "I've been practicing family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this,” Rainwater said. “The family is devastated by this outcome."
Rainwater said there was nothing during the court proceedings that led the family to believe what would happen later that day. "And I don’t think anyone in this courtroom on Tuesday contemplated this could be the outcome,” she said.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. The family released a statement that says through their attorney:
"Our family is devastated. Vivian was four years old. She was loved without limit by her father, Aaron, and by everyone whose life she touched. There are no words for what has been taken from us. Aaron did everything the law asks of a parent who is trying to protect his child. He trusted the courts. He followed every order. He waited for the process to work. On Tuesday, a judge placed Vivian in his primary care, and she was supposed to come home to him that evening. She never did.
We ask the public to remember that there are fathers everywhere who fight quietly, patiently, and within the law to protect their children. Their stories are rarely told, and they should be. We are grateful to everyone who has reached out with kindness. We ask for privacy as we grieve."
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