A woman shot her four-year-old daughter in the US state of Texas, just hours after losing a custody battle with the girl’s father. Instead, she shot the girl before turning the gun on herself. The incident took place in a Houston home, where Cibelle Savella, 35, was supposed to hand over her daughter, Vivian, to her ex-husband, Aaron Savella.
On Thursday, police said the mother was pronounced dead on Wednesday, according to a report in New York Post . Rainwater added that he had not seen such a case in his career. Houston Police Department (HPD) officers responded to the scene at 5:45 pm local time after receiving a call about a shooting on the third floor of the home.
At the scene, officers said they found Vivian dead from an apparent gunshot wound. HPD said that officers detained Vivian’s mother, who had reportedly shot herself in the face and was taken to the hospital. Lawyer Charlotte Rainwater, representing Aaron, said the entire family was ‘ devastated’ by this incident.
I don’t think anyone in this courtroom on Tuesday contemplated this could be the outcome,” said Rainwater. The divorce was followed by a bitter legal battle over their daughter. A family court judge had just granted Vivian’s custody to Aaron, and she was supposed to be turned over to him Tuesday night.
Originally from Brazil, Savella had an acrimonious divorce in November 2024 after just four years of marriage. “I’ve been practising family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this.
