Cibelle Savella, 35, died from her injuries days after her daughter Vivian was fatally shot shortly before the child was due to be placed in her father’s primary custody.

A 35-year-old Houston, Texas, woman who allegedly fatally shot her four-year-old daughter before turning the gun on herself has died from her injuries, days after a court awarded primary custody of the child to her former husband.

Cibelle Savella was initially taken to hospital in critical condition following the shooting and was reportedly expected to survive. She has since succumbed to her injuries, according to reports.

Her daughter, Vivian, was killed at the family’s Houston-area townhome on Tuesday, shortly after Savella appeared in court over a long-running custody dispute with Vivian’s father, Aaron.

The court hearing had resulted in a major change to the custody arrangement. Savella was granted only supervised visitation, while Aaron was awarded primary custody and decision-making authority over Vivian’s health and wellbeing.

According to reports, Savella was ordered to return Vivian to her father later that evening.

However, the handover never took place.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Savella was at the townhome with her partner, Greg, and a babysitter. At some point, she was reportedly alone with Vivian in an upstairs room.

Greg and the babysitter subsequently heard gunshots from inside the house.

Greg reportedly rushed to Vivian and began performing CPR while emergency services were contacted. Despite the efforts to save her, Vivian was pronounced dead at the scene.

Savella was also found injured and was transported to a hospital.

Custody battle preceded tragedy

The shooting came after years of legal proceedings between Savella and Aaron, a Houston attorney.

The couple married in 2020 and had one daughter, Vivian. Savella filed for divorce in November 2022, and the divorce was finalized in 2024.

However, disagreements over Vivian’s custody continued after the divorce.

According to statements attributed to Aaron’s attorney, he had pursued legal measures over concerns surrounding the child’s safety before the September 29 hearing.

The judge ultimately ordered that Savella and Greg could only have supervised visits with Vivian through a guardian agency.

Previous court orders had also imposed restrictions on Savella, including prohibiting her from speaking disparagingly about Aaron in Vivian’s presence or allowing others to do so.

The latest ruling went further, giving Aaron primary custody and responsibility for major decisions concerning Vivian’s health and welfare.

Savella was also ordered to pay child support and half of Vivian’s out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Reports also said the court restricted Savella from speaking Portuguese with Vivian unless the court-appointed supervisor could understand the language. She was additionally stripped of the authority to consent to Vivian’s medical, dental, surgical or emergency treatment.

Questions over timing of custody handover

Despite the new custody order, Vivian was not immediately transferred to Aaron.

According to Aaron’s attorney, the judge did not specify how the child should be exchanged following the hearing, leaving Savella with time alone with Vivian before the scheduled handover.

Police later responded to the townhome after the gunshots were reported.

Authorities have indicated that there is currently no evidence suggesting another person was involved in the deaths.

Savella died before she could face criminal charges in connection with Vivian’s death.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, including what happened inside the home during the period when Savella was alone with her daughter.

The tragedy has drawn renewed attention to the difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances that can accompany high-conflict child-custody disputes.

For Vivian’s father, family members and others who knew the four-year-old, the custody dispute ended in an unimaginable loss: a child who was due to begin living with her father instead lost her life before the transfer could take place.

Vivian was four years old.