HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Katy man who terrorized his wife, six children and a grandchild during a 2021 "shooting rampage" in their home could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Jurors convicted Lawrence Reed, 56, of murder and gave him a life sentence for killing his wife, 36-year-old Valerie Junius. They also sentenced him to a total of 40 years in prison for shooting his 20-year-old stepdaughter and 16-year-old stepson.
Editor's note: The above video originally aired in 2021.
Five other children, ages 1 to 17, were in the home on Roaring Oaks Lane when the shooting happened.
“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,” Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall said. “There’s no reason to shoot up a house full of unarmed women and children.”
The details in this case are chilling.
Prosecutors said the couple had been having marital problems and Reed began sending strange text messages where he mentioned a gun. The family searched the house, found a .40-caliber handgun and snuck it out of the house. They didn't realize he had another gun.
On the day of the shootings, Reed wrote Junius a card telling her how much he loved her.
Later that day, Junius, four children from a previous relationship and her 1-year-old grandchild were downstairs. The couple's 4-year-old and 8-year-old were upstairs with Reed.
Prosecutors said Reid texted his wife repeatedly and wanted her to come upstairs and read the card to him but Junius said no because her adult daughter and grandchild were there for a visit.
That's when Reed walked downstairs and shot his 20-year-old stepdaughter in the chest. The bullet pierced her heart, both lungs and liver but she survived. Several children ran out the front door and Junius ran out the back door. Reed followed her and found her hiding in a neighbor's car with her 16-year-old son. He shot the teen twice and then shot and killed his wife.
A neighbor tried to perform CPR on Junius but Reed came over with the gun, kicked Junius in the head and told the neighbor that she was already dead. A 17-year-old son was also trying to help his mom but Reed pointed the gun at him and told him to run away or face being shot as well.
According to court documents, a neighbor heard Reed say, "They all need to die."
Reed barricaded himself in the house and threatened to shoot anyone who came inside.
Somehow in the chaos, the injured 20-year-old woman managed to get to a closet with her baby and hide. She was on the phone with 911 until officers were able to sneak her out of the house without Reed realizing it.
The young mother was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. Witnesses testified that it was a miracle that she survived.
"Cases like this are why we have a Domestic Violence Division, and innocent victims like this are why we work so hard to get justice," District Attorney Kim Ogg said.