The Brief Four-year-old Vivian Savella was shot and killed inside a west Houston town home, according to Houston police. Police say Vivian's mother shot the child and then turned the gun on herself after a custody hearing earlier that day. A family and relationship expert says custody disputes can be deeply emotional but should never be viewed as inevitably leading to violence.



The family of four-year-old Vivian Savella is mourning the little girl after Houston police say she was shot and killed by her mother hours after a custody hearing.

Vivian's family identified her through attorneys and described her as a child who was  loved without limit. 

Police say a judge had awarded Vivian's father custody earlier in the day. According to a statement released on behalf of Vivian's family, she was supposed to come home to her father that evening.

She never did.

Mother accused in daughter's death

What we know:

Houston police officers responded to a shooting call around 5:45 p.m. in the 300 block of Terra Reserve Place in west Houston.

When officers arrived, they found Vivian dead from at least one gunshot wound.

Investigators say Vivian's mother was also found with a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police said following the shooting that she was expected to survive.

Police believe Vivian's mother shot her daughter before turning the gun on herself.

Investigators said a stepfather and babysitter were also inside the home at the time of the shooting. Police said they heard the gunshots but did not witness what happened.

Police also said a custody hearing involving Vivian had taken place earlier that day and that her father had been awarded custody.

The investigation remains ongoing.

What we don't know:

Several significant questions remain unanswered.

Police have not publicly identified Vivian's mother.

The full circumstances surrounding the custody dispute have not been made public, and FOX 26 does not know all of the evidence or information the judge considered before placing Vivian in her father's primary care.

It is also unclear from the infor

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