Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife Cerina Fairfax before turning the gun on himself in their Annandale home Thursday, police say.
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Police investigate apparent murder-suicide of former Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and wife
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife Dr. Cerina Fairfax before turning the gun on himself in their Annandale home as the couple was in the midst of a “messy” divorce, police said Thursday.
Fairfax, 47, and his wife, 49, were found dead inside their home in the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive after their teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight, according to police.
A judge had ordered Justin Fairfax to move out of the family’s home by the end of April.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told reporters at a briefing that Fairfax shot his wife several times in the house’s basement, killing her. He then ran upstairs to the primary bedroom and killed himself with the same firearm.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The couple’s teenage children, a boy and a girl, were in the house when it happened. Police said neither were harmed.
Davis said he believes the violent events unfolded rapidly, “It all happened pretty spontaneously.”
Police recovered cartridge casings and a firearm at the house. Autopsy reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the cause and manner of death.
Fairfax had been a “rising star” before sexual assault allegations stunted the Democrat’s political aspirations in 2019. His wife ran a family dentistry practice.
Their deaths shocked local lawmakers, who have shared tributes and condolences.
‘Messy’ divorce before killing
Davis noted that divorce proceedings had been ongoing for some time, calling it a “complicated or messy” situation.
Fairfax was apparently served paperwork “associated with an upcoming court proceeding,” which may have led to the shooting, Davis said.
In January, Fairfax alleged that his wife assaulted him, an accusation that Davis said was investigated by police and found to be untrue.
“We responded to that scene. There are several cameras set up inside the house. Apparently, Mrs. Fairfax, at some point during these divorce proceedings, set up a lot of cameras inside the home, we reviewed those cameras, and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said.
The couple were separated while living in the house together, but Justin Fairfax had until the end of April to move out, per a judge’s order.
Cerina Fairfax had testified in court that her husband drank daily, and that his living space was littered with empty wine bottles and piles of dirty laundry. He bought a handgun in 2022 with money intended for horseback riding lessons for their children, court records showed.
According to court documents, Justin Fairfax’s “mental and emotional health” suffered after two setbacks: his unsuccessful 2013 campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general and the 2019 sexual assault scandal that ended his political career. After both, he drank heavily and withdrew from his family, but while it took about a month to recover from the first setback, he never bounced back from the second.
“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.
Sexual assault allegations against former Lt. Gov.
Fairfax served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022.
“It’s high profile in nature,” Davis said of the killing. “It’s tragic in nature, certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor.”
During his time in office, he faced accusations of sexual assault from two women in 2019. Fairfax denied the allegations and finished his term, despite calls from other lawmakers for him to resign.
Fairfax was not criminally charged in either case and maintained his innocence.
Instead of running for reelection, Fairfax campaigned for governor in 2021 and lost during the Democratic primary. He returned to practicing law after his political career.
Court filings show that Fairfax had financial challenges following the allegations of sexual assault. The IRS filed a lien against the couple for more than $91,000 in unpaid taxes that was resolved in 2021.
Cerina and Justin met while attending Duke University and married in 2006.
Cerina Fairfax earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005. According to her dentistry practice’s website, she was committed to community outreach programs and loved to read, run trails with her dogs and practice Bikram yoga.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FILE — Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, right, and his wife, Cerina, at the inauguration of Gov. Ralph Northam at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 13, 2018.
(AP Photo/Kevin Morley, File)
AP Photo/Kevin Morley, File
Fairfax County police walk outside the home of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, in Annandale, Va., Thursday, April 16, 2026.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Fairfax County police confer in front of the home of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, in Annandale, Va., Thursday, April 16, 2026.
(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
Fairfax County police secure the home of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax in Annandale, Va. after a shooting on April 16, 2026.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Investigators arrive at the scene of a shooting in Annandale, Virginia.
(WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WTOP/Neal Augenstein
FILE — Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, speaks to supporters at Pink Fish restaurant in Hampton, Va., Thursday, April 8, 2021.
(AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
AP Photo/Steve Helber, File
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