A judge gave a Texas father primary custody of his 4-year-old daughter, but police say what her mother did hours later left two people dead

A 4-year-old Texas girl, Vivian Savella, was fatally shot at a Houston home on the evening of Tuesday, September 29, hours after a judge awarded primary custody to her father, Aaron. Police say the girl’s mother shot her before turning the gun on herself.

As reported by Us Weekly, officers responded to reports of a shooting at the residence around 5:45 PM and found Vivian dead. The mother, who has not been publicly identified by police, was taken to a hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound.

The mother died the following day, according to KHOU, with Houston police describing the case as an apparent murder-suicide. Homicide investigators have spoken with the stepfather and a babysitter who were inside the home at the time.

The shooting happened on the night Vivian was due to go home to her father

A Houston police spokesperson said the family returned home after the custody hearing. The stepfather and babysitter were downstairs when they heard gunshots upstairs and went up to find Vivian and her mother, police said.

The stepfather reportedly attempted CPR on Vivian, but she died at the scene. The judge had ordered that the mother have possession of the child “only when continuously supervised,” and Vivian was supposed to be turned over to her father that night.

In a statement released through the family’s attorney, Vivian was remembered as a girl who was “loved without limit by her father, Aaron.” The statement said there were no words for what had been taken from the family.

The attorney said Aaron trusted the courts, followed every order, and waited for the process to work. “On Tuesday, a judge placed Vivian in his primary care,” the statement said, adding that she was supposed to come home to him that evening but never did.

The family also asked the public to recognize fathers who fight within the law to protect their children, saying their stories are “rarely told.” The statement circulated amid the same news cycle as a woman’s Ancestry test discovery, and the family thanked those who reached out with kindness while asking for privacy as they grieve.

Anyone who is struggling or in crisis can call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.