Mom-of-six, 36, is 'shot dead by her abusive husband while she is on the phone with her mother and two of her children, 16 and 20, are wounded as they flee'

A Texas man allegedly shot his wife dead and wounded two of her children while she was on the phone with her mother during an argument after she threatened to leave him.

Lawrence Reed, 53, opened fire on Valerie Junius, 36, at the family's home in Katy, west of Houston, on Thursday evening police say.

Junius fled the house with gunshot wounds to the stomach and arm, a neighbor told ABC13. 

Reed then allegedly killed her with a shot to the head in a neighbors driveway before opening fire on her 16-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter.

Junius' 12 and 8-year-old children were also present, according to the Houston Chronicle. 

Junius' cousin, Stacey Terry, wrote on a GoFundMe that the mom-of-six was intending to leave her husband, and that she was on the phone to her mother Gloria when the shooting happened.

She wrote: 'My Auntie, Gloria, was on the phone with her daughter, Valerie, while she could overhear her husband, Lawrence Reed, telling Valerie that he was going to kill her and her kids.

'Gloria then had the horrific experience of having to hear Lawrence shoot her daughter Valerie a total of 7 times, ultimately taking her life.' 

Police have not confirmed all of the details alleged by Terry.

Lawrence Reed (pictured left in his mug shot) opened fire on Valerie Junius at the family's home in Katy, west of Houston, on Thursday evening police say

Reed was arrested and charged with murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon 

Junius' family posted pictures of her on a GoFundMe which is intended to raise money for her six children

Reed was charged on August 1 with the murder of Junius, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Department. 

Next-door neighbor Ivory Jackson told how he saw Junius fleeing her home while wounded.

He told ABC13: 'She had gunshots in her stomach and arm.

'He came back out and said "don’t help her, she’s dead - I shot her in the head." I looked in her head and, of course…'

 Jackson said that his sister heard four or five shots fired from within the house, while another five were fired outside at Junius, and her children.

 Reed then barricaded himself in his home, threatening to end his own life. 

SWAT vehicles prevented neighbors from parking in their driveways as hostage negotiators coaxed Reed out of the home for about 30 minutes, according to the department. 

'The motive for the shooting appeared to be an ongoing domestic disturbance between Reed and Junius,' wrote police in an incident report. 

SWAT vehicles prevented neighbors from parking in their driveways as hostage negotiators coaxed Reed out of the home for about 30 minutes, according to the department.

Next-door neighbor Ivory Jackson told how he saw Junius fleeing her home while wounded.

'They barbecue we come over, they barbecue they come over - It’s never any bad times around here, it’s always peaceful, sunny," said Jackson. 'You wouldn’t think that anything like that would happen around here.'

Junius' family told news outlets that the deceased mother was intending to separate from Reed. 

'There were periods of times when my cousin was happy with this man, but there were a lot of times my cousin was not happy with this man,' Junius' cousin, Treshawnda Junius, told Click 2 Houston. 

'I urge you if you have family in unhappy relationships, if you have friends that are in unhappy relationships, to stand by them and to talk to them to check on them.'

Neighbors told ABC 13 that there wasn't any indication or warning signs from the outside that the tragedy might occur. 

'They barbecue we come over, they barbecue they come over - It’s never any bad times around here, it’s always peaceful, sunny," said Jackson. 

'You wouldn’t think that anything like that would happen around here.'

Area police could not be reached for comment, or to confirm whether previous calls had been made to the department for domestic incidents. 

Both of Junius' wounded children are in stable condition and expected to recover.

ABC 13 spotted the 16-year-old returning to the house in a medical gown, walking and talking. 

Junius' children range between 20 and 4 years in age, according to her family. 

'My cousin was a very good mother to the best of her abilities. She loved her kids. Everything she did was for her kids,' said Treshawnda. 

Reed is being held in Harris County Jail in lieu of a $1.7 million bail bond.