Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife, Then Himself
Police say the couple’s teenage children called 911 during a domestic dispute at their Annandale home.
Justin Fairfax, former lieutenant governor of Virginia, died in a murder-suicide Thursday after fatally shooting his wife, Cerina Fairfax, inside their Annandale home.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis confirmed that the couple’s teenage children called 911 shortly after midnight to report a violent domestic dispute. Officers arrived to find both Justin and Cerina dead.
Davis said the incident occurred amid a “complicated divorce,” noting that Fairfax had recently been served court paperwork. The couple had continued living together during the proceedings.
Police had previously responded to the home in January, when Justin accused Cerina of assault. That claim was disproven after reviewing surveillance footage she had installed in the house.
Fairfax, 47, was once considered a rising star in Democratic politics. He served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under Governor Ralph Northam, becoming only the second African American to hold statewide office in Virginia since Reconstruction. His career collapsed in 2019 after two women accused him of sexual assault, allegations he denied but which derailed his political trajectory. He later ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2021.
The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home at the time of the shootings. Police continue to investigate but have characterized the case as a domestic violence-related murder-suicide.
If you or someone you know needs support: In the United States, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available at 988, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the United Kingdom, Samaritans are available on 116 123, and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. In Australia, Lifeline can be contacted at 13 11 14, and the National Family Violence Counselling Service is 1800 737 732. For additional international helplines, visit www.befrienders.org.
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