Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife and Himself in Murder-Suicide

Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia, fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life in their Annandale home just after midnight, Fairfax County police said Thursday. Both of their teenage children were home during the incident, which police described as a murder-suicide linked to ongoing domestic disputes amid divorce proceedings.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said that Fairfax shot his wife several times in the basement of their home before going upstairs to the primary bedroom and fatally shooting himself. The couple’s older son called 911 shortly after midnight, reporting that he believed his mother had been stabbed. Police found bullet casings near Cerina Fairfax’s body and later discovered Justin Fairfax with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“There wasn’t a pause … it all happened pretty spontaneously,” Davis said, describing the event as a sudden and traumatic incident. The couple had been living together but separated, residing in different bedrooms, and Cerina Fairfax had filed for divorce in July. Fairfax had recently been served paperwork related to the divorce, which police believe may have been a triggering factor.

“This has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said. He also noted the tragedy for the two teenage children, who are receiving support from victim services. “It’s a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going for them,” Davis added.

Justin Fairfax, 47, served as Virginia’s 41st lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under former Democratic Governor Ralph Northam. He was once considered a rising political star but faced controversy in 2019 when two women accused him of sexual assault years earlier. Meredith Watson alleged Fairfax raped her in 2000 while they were students at Duke University, and Vanessa Tyson accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention. Fairfax denied the allegations, stating the encounters were consensual and called for an FBI investigation.

In January, Fairfax called police alleging his wife had assaulted him. However, police determined the assault did not occur after reviewing footage from cameras Cerina Fairfax had installed during the divorce process. No charges were filed.

Police have obtained a search warrant to collect evidence, including the firearm used in the shootings. The Fairfax home was cordoned off Thursday morning, and two gurneys were seen being removed from the residence.

The incident has drawn attention to issues of domestic violence and mental health. Authorities reminded the public of resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for those in need of assistance.