Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax found dead in apparent murder suicide

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide at his home in Annandale, Virginia.

Police say that Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life, with their two teenage children present in the home during the shootings.

Fairfax County Police responded to the scene shortly after midnight on Thursday (April 16), following a 911 call made by the couple's son.

Police Chief Kevin Davis reported that both Fairfax and his wife were found inside the home, and it appeared that the same firearm was used in both shootings.

"So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred," he said. "Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor."

The children are now being cared for by their grandparents and other family members, with support from the Fairfax County Police Department’s victim services division.

Fairfax, a Democrat, served as lieutenant governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022 under Gov. Ralph Northam. In 2021, he ran for governor of Virginia but was unsuccessful.

After leaving office, Fairfax - whose political career was overshadowed by sexual assault allegations - returned to practicing law, while his wife worked as a dentist.

According to CNN, the shootings occurred in the midst of the couple's divorce proceedings, which had recently become contentious.

Fairfax had been served legal paperwork detailing his next court appearance, and tensions had been escalating.

Davis disclosed that the former politician had called the cops in January, alleging assault by his wife, but that claim was not corroborated.

"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."

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