A Katy man, Lawrence Reed, aged 56, has received a life sentence following a 2021 domestic shooting that resulted in the death of his wife and injury to two other family members. The sentencing, announced by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, comes after Reed's conviction by a jury for the murder of his 36-year-old wife Valarie Junius and two counts of aggravated assault on a family member. According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the life sentence for the murder charge will run concurrently with the two 20-year sentences for the assaults.
The tragedy unfolded in their family home on July 29, 2021, when Reed ultimately killed his wife after she refused to join him upstairs to read a card he had written professing his love. The prosecution stated in the trial, obtained by the Harris County District Attorney’s website, "This man went on a shooting rampage in his own home, shooting three people that he claimed he loved." The victims included Reed's 20-year-old stepdaughter, who survived a life-threatening shot to the chest, as well as his wife and 16-year-old stepson, who was shot twice yet also survived.
Weeks prior, while the family visited Chicago, Reed, left alone at home, began sending troubling texts referencing a gun. This prompted the family to remove a .40-caliber handgun from the residence upon their return, unknowing of another pistol Reed possessed. The events spiraled when Reed's wife refused to read the aforementioned card, leading to a violent turn where Reed shot his stepdaughter first before pursuing his wife outside.
As the terror unfolded, neighbors attempted to intervene. They tried to provide CPR to Reed's wife as she lay injured, only to be warded off when Reed, after shooting the woman fatally hiding behind a car, commanded them to leave. He kicked his lifeless wife's head and threatened one of her sons attempting to help. Meanwhile, the same bullet-riddled 20-year-old daughter managed to take refuge in a closet with her baby, holding onto life and calling 911—a feat described as miraculous by witnesses.
The horror of that day was revisited during Reed's trial, where Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall highlighted the gravity of the situation, "He had absolutely murderous intent to kill everyone in that house and would have tried if they hadn’t gotten the other gun out of there—he simply ran out of bullets," as stated in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office's report.
