Mom Shoots Her Daughter Before Taking Her Own Life 8 Hours After Losing Custody of Her Child to Her Ex-Husband

A 35-year-old Texas mother, identified as Cibelle Savella, has died after police said she shot her 4-year-old daughter, Vivian, before turning the gun on herself hours after a custody hearing involving the child.

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According to reports, Cibelle was expected to hand Vivian over to her former husband, Aaron Savella, after a judge placed the child in his primary care during a custody hearing on Tuesday.

Houston Police Lieutenant Larry Crowson described the events that followed the hearing, saying:

“There was a custody hearing earlier today that didn’t go well for the mother.

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“She came home, shot her 4-year-old, and then shot herself.”

Police said the incident happened at Cibelle’s Houston home. She and her daughter were both taken to hospital, but Cibelle later died from her injuries.

The tragedy came after a lengthy custody dispute between Cibelle and Aaron, who divorced in 2024 after four years of marriage.

Reports stated that the latest custody decision came about eight hours before the shooting.

Under the reported court order, Vivian was placed in her father’s primary care. Cibelle was also restricted from speaking Portuguese with her daughter unless a supervisor present could speak the language.

The court order reportedly also prevented her from attending Vivian’s school performances and extracurricular activities. She was ordered to pay child support and cover half of the child’s out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The reason Cibelle faced the restrictions was not immediately clear from the available reports.

Following the tragedy, Vivian’s relatives released an emotional statement describing the young girl and the impact of her death on the family.

They said:

“Vivian was 4 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.”

Charlotte Rainwater, the lawyer who represented Aaron Savella, also expressed shock over the outcome.

She said:

“the family is devastated by this outcome,”

Rainwater added:

“I’ve been practicing family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this.

“I don’t think anyone in this courtroom on Tuesday contemplated this could be the outcome.”