Valerie Junius, a 36-year-old African American woman, was shot and killed on July 29, 2021, in her apartment in Katy, Texas. According to reports, she was on the phone with her mother when her husband, Lawrence Reed, allegedly shot her multiple times. Authorities found Valerie dead after responding to calls about a shooting; Reed had barricaded himself inside the home and later surrendered to SWAT personnel.

Valerie had been separating from Reed and had spent about a month living with friends and family in Chicago before returning home the day before the killing. Two of the couple’s children, a 16-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter, were wounded in the attack but survived. The family had a blended household with six children, ages 4 to 20.

The family held a memorial remembering Valerie as a loving mother who was trying to leave an abusive relationship and asked for community support and donations to help care for the children. If anyone knew Valerie or has information about what happened that night, please share what you know.