ANNANDALE, Virginia — Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself at their family home here early Thursday, Fairfax County police said.
Police responded to the residence shortly after midnight after one of the couple’s two teenage sons called 911, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference. Officers found Fairfax, 47, and his wife, 49, dead from gunshot wounds. The children were home at the time but were not physically harmed.
Fairfax shot his wife multiple times in the basement before going upstairs to the primary bedroom and turning the gun on himself, Davis said. The couple had been going through a contentious divorce, and court records showed Fairfax faced a deadline in coming weeks to move out of the home and had lost custody of the children, according to police and officials familiar with the proceedings.
Fairfax served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022. A Democrat once viewed as a rising star in the party, his political career was damaged by sexual assault allegations in 2019, which he denied. He did not seek re-election.
Chief Davis said: “Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside of their home and then shot and killed himself.”
No charges were filed because both individuals are deceased, police said. Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene, and the deaths are being investigated as a murder-suicide.
The couple’s teenage son told dispatchers he could see holes in his mother’s shirt after the incident, according to police audio referenced in reports. Officers had previously responded to the home in January after Fairfax alleged his wife had assaulted him, but security cameras showed the claim was unfounded, Davis said.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and other state lawmakers expressed shock and offered condolences to the family. Details about funeral arrangements or statements from relatives were not immediately available.
As of Friday, the investigation continued, and police said they had no further immediate updates. The two children are receiving support from authorities and family members, officials said. No additional information about motives or prior incidents was released beyond the ongoing divorce proceedings.
