The mother who was accused of shooting and killing her 4-year-old daughter Tuesday night has died, Houston police announced in a Thursday news release.
Attorneys for the child’s father, Aaron Savella, identified the girl as Vivian Savella on Wednesday. According to the family’s statement, Vivian was supposed to come home with her father that night.
“Our family is devastated,” the statement read. “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.”
Police said they have withheld the mother’s identity pending notification of family by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Police said they found Vivian shot and the 35-year-old mother injured by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on the third floor Memorial-area home, according to the Thursday news release. The mother was taken to a hospital after the shooting and died on Wednesday, the release states.
The child’s stepfather and babysitter were also at the home when they heard gunshots just before 6 p.m., police previously told KHOU.
A child custody case was pending between Savella and the mother at the time of the shooting, according to statements from police and Savella’s attorneys, along with court records.
On Tuesday, a court granted Savella the temporary, exclusive right to determine his daughter’s primary residence and make decisions about her medical care and education. The mother was allowed to see her daughter only during supervised visits, according to the temporary order.