Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, inside their Virginia home before taking his own life, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. The couple’s two teenage children were in the house at the time of the shootings, Davis said, adding that their son made the 911 call.
A police patrol team was sent swiftly to the home in Annandale shortly after midnight and found both a man and a woman dead inside, authorities said earlier. The same firearm appears to have been used in both shootings, Davis said. The incident stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute related to “what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said.
Cameras reviewed, domestic dispute probed
Detectives reviewed the incident using “a lot of cameras” installed inside the home as part of the couple’s ongoing divorce proceedings, Kevin Davis said. He added that a January call to police by Justin Fairfax, alleging assault by his wife, was not corroborated.
“So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred,” Davis said. “Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favour.”
Domestic abuse and legal proceedings
According to local publication Viriginia Mercury, The couple had been separated but were still living in the same home, occupying separate bedrooms, Davis said. Divorce proceedings were underway, with court appearances scheduled soon. Justin Fairfax had recently been served legal paperwork tied to the case, which investigators are examining as a possible contributing factor.
“That may have been a spark … that led to this tragedy,” Davis said, while cautioning that detectives are still working to determine a definitive motive. Police said officers had previously responded to the home in January after Fairfax alleged his wife had assaulted him. Investigators later reviewed footage from cameras installed inside the residence and determined that no assault had occurred, Davis said. The same cameras later helped confirm the sequence of events described by the 911 caller, he added. Davis emphasised that authorities are prioritising support for the couple’s children, who lost both parents in the incident.
“Our victim services division is leaning into the family, the surviving relatives, the children in particular,” he said. “We’ll do everything we can for them.” He also pointed to the broader emotional strain tied to domestic disputes, particularly during separations. “Half of America probably goes through divorce proceedings at some point in time, and very, very rarely, thankfully, does it ever end up like this,” Davis said. “It is very sad for this community.”
Who was Justin Fairfax?
Fairfax, 45, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under former Gov. Ralph Northam. A Democrat, he was once seen as a potential future statewide candidate. His political career was derailed in 2019 after two women publicly accused him of sexual assault. Fairfax denied the allegations, and no criminal charges were filed. The accusations drew national attention and prompted calls from some Democratic leaders for his resignation, which he resisted. Before entering politics, Fairfax worked as a federal prosecutor and later in private legal practice. After leaving office, he returned to practicing law, Davis said, though details about his recent work were not immediately available. The investigation into Thursday’s fatal shooting remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses to piece together the events leading up to the killings.