"The horrific truth has finally come to light—how former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax killed his wife and then committed suicide."

Police say the couple’s teenage children dialed 911 after a heated domestic dispute erupted at their Annandale home amid an ongoing divorce.


Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia whose political career was derailed by sexual assault allegations, fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, on Thursday before taking his own life, according to police.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a press briefing that the apparent murder-suicide happened amid a tense and complicated divorce between the couple. The shooting occurred at the family’s home in Annandale, Virginia. Authorities were alerted after one of the couple’s teenage children called 911 shortly after midnight.

“Former lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside their home and then turned the gun on himself,” Davis told reporters.

Fairfax, 47, served as Virginia’s Democratic lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under Governor Ralph Northam. He was the second African American to hold statewide office in Virginia since the Reconstruction era and was once considered a rising figure in state politics.

However, his political trajectory changed dramatically in 2019 when two women accused him of sexual assault. The allegations triggered widespread calls for his resignation during a broader scandal that also engulfed Northam’s administration. Fairfax later attempted a political comeback by running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2021 but finished fourth in the primary, receiving just 3.54% of the vote.

Police said Justin and Cerina Fairfax were still living in the same home while going through divorce proceedings. According to Davis, Fairfax had recently been served legal paperwork related to an upcoming court hearing, which investigators believe may have contributed to the events that unfolded that night.

Their two teenage children were inside the home when the shootings occurred, police confirmed.

Authorities had previously responded to the residence earlier this year. In January, Justin Fairfax accused his wife of assault, but after reviewing footage from security cameras installed inside the house, officers concluded that no assault had taken place.

“The allegation that Mr. Fairfax made in January—that Mrs. Fairfax assaulted him—was determined to be untrue,” Davis said.