A 35-year-old woman in Houston, Texas, United States, identified as Cibelle Savella, shot and killed her four-year-old daughter, Vivian, before dying from a gunshot wound hours after losing primary custody of the child.

The incident happened shortly after a family court hearing in which a judge reportedly awarded primary custody of Vivian to her father, Aaron Savella. The child was expected to be handed over to her father later that day.

Houston police responded to a shooting at the family’s home in west Houston, where officers found Vivian dead from a gunshot wound. Savella was also discovered with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital, where she later died.

Houston Police Department Lieutenant Larry Crowson said the custody hearing had gone against Savella.

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

According to the New York Post, Savella returned home after the hearing before the shooting took place.

The custody dispute between Savella and Aaron had reportedly continued for an extended period following their divorce, with court orders placing several restrictions on the mother’s contact with her daughter.

The restrictions reportedly included supervised communication with Vivian, limits on Savella attending some of the child’s school activities and financial obligations towards the child. The reasons behind the court-imposed restrictions were not immediately clear.

Aaron’s lawyer, Charlotte Rainwater, said she had not encountered a case like the incident during her decades of practising family law.

“I’ve been practising family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this,” Rainwater said, according to the New York Post.

Vivian’s family said the child was deeply loved and defended Aaron’s conduct throughout the custody proceedings.

“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,” the family said through their lawyer, according to the newspaper.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. (New York Post)