Mother who killed her two daughters did so 'to punish her husband'

Reports say that Christy Sheats had a history of mental health problems

Christy Sheats was shot and killed by police officers (Facebook)

The Texas woman who shot and killed her two ‘perfect’ daughters may have done so to spite her husband.

Reports said that Christy Sheats’ husband, Jason, begged his wife not to harm their children after she opened fire after a family meeting. Ms Sheats was subsequently shot and killed by police after failing to drop her gun.

Their daughters - Madison Sheats, 17, and 22-year old Taylor - were both fatally injured.

Jason Sheats reportedly begged his wife not to harm their children (Facebook)

Reports said that the shooting last Friday in the town of Katy, Texas, took place after Ms Sheats had called a family meeting. The family had a history of turmoil, and Ms Sheats may have suffered mental health problems in the past.

The meeting, and the deaths, took place on Mr Sheats’ birthday, and just says before Taylor Sheats was to have been married to her her boyfriend of four years, Juan Sebastian Lugo.

Local media said that police who were called to the scene heard Mr Sheats telling telling his wife not “to do this.”

“[The officer] heard the dad say, ‘Don’t do this. They’re our kids,’” Fazz Zainuddin, the Sheats’ neighbor, told Click2Houston.

“This is sad knowing a good family and this is what happened.” The nature of their family dispute is still unknown at this time but neighbours said that Ms Sheats had recently returned to the family home.

Madison Davey, a close family friend, told reporters: “He was the best dad ever. I would hang out with him and he loved being around us. And they were so funny - for sisters, you would think they would fight, but no. They loved each other a lot and were always laughing.”

Ms Davey said that Mr Sheats had urged his wife not to shoot their daughters.

“He told Christy, ‘Just shoot yourself. Make it easy on all of us, just shoot yourself’, and she said, ‘No, that's not what this is about, this is about punishing you’,” said Mr Davey.

“I always knew something would happen, but I never thought she would do this. Christy was toxic for the family. She was mentally unstable.”

Ms Davey is now helping the family plan the funeral. The sisters will be laid to rest later this week in Alabama.

Police said this week that officers had been called out 14 times to the Sheats' home since 2012.