Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife before taking his own life early Thursday in what authorities describe as a domestic-related murder-suicide, police said.
Officers responded shortly after midnight to the home in Annandale, Virginia, and found Fairfax, 47, and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, 49, dead inside the residence, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis. The couple’s teenage son discovered the scene and called 911. He and the couple’s daughter were inside the home at the time but were not physically injured, police said.
The killings follow a contentious and public divorce between Justin and Cerina. Court records show a judge had ordered Justin to move out of the family home by the end of April and granted primary custody of the children to his wife. Court documents show ongoing domestic tensions and describe the case as stemming from a “messy” separation.
Fairfax, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under Gov. Ralph Northam. Once considered a rising political figure, his career unraveled after sexual assault allegations surfaced in 2019, which he denied. The couple’s relationship had been under significant strain for years, and the allegations placed intense public and private pressure on their marriage, contributing to their eventual separation.
During Thursday’s press conference, Davis said that in January, police were called to the Fairfax home after Justin accused his wife of assault during a domestic dispute. Officers reviewed footage from interior security cameras installed in the residence and determined the alleged assault did not occur, authorities said. No charges were filed in connection with that incident, but it was noted as part of a broader pattern of escalating marital conflict in the months leading up to the killings.
Investigators continue to review evidence, including potential home surveillance footage, as they work to determine the full timeline of events. Authorities have characterized the shooting as an isolated domestic incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.