1 of 3 | Virginia Lieutenant Gov.-elect Justin Fairfax arrives to speak at the official Democratic watch party at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., in 2017. Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, died by murder-suicide Thursday. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, are dead from an apparent murder suicide in their home in Annandale, Va.
Justin Fairfax, 47, shot and killed Cerina in the home and then shot himself, police said. The couple’s two teenage children were home, and their son called 911 shortly after midnight Thursday.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the same gun appears to have been used in both shootings.
The couple had been in an ongoing domestic dispute from “what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said. Fairfax had recently been served paperwork that said when he was next scheduled for court in the divorce, Davis said.
Detectives have reviewed footage from inside the home that came from “a lot of cameras” that were set up as part of the divorce, Davis said. He added that a January call to police alleging his wife assaulted him were 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 favor.”
Family members are caring for the children with help from the Fairfax County Police Department’s victim services division, Davis said.
“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. “So, very sad for this community … a lot of people who know the Fairfax family — everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”
Fairfax, a Democrat, was lieutenant governor under Gov. Ralph Northam from 2018 to 2022. He ran for governor in 2021. He faced sexual assault allegations in 2019.
After his time in office, he returned to practicing law. Cerina Fairfax was a dentist.
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First lady Melania Trump speaks during a House Ways and Means Committee roundtable discussion on protecting children in America’s foster care system in the Longworth House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The bipartisan group of lawmakers are looking to address challenges children in foster care face, including barriers to education and educational advocacy, housing, employment opportunities, financial independence, and technology. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
