Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife, Then Himself, Police Say

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life early Thursday at the family’s home in Annandale, Fairfax County police said, in what authorities described as a sudden and tragic act of domestic violence amid a pending divorce.

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax presides over the state Senate during the 2020 General Assembly session in Richmond; police say he fatally shot his wife early Thursday morning before taking his own life. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

Officers responded to the home just after midnight after one of the couple’s teenage children called 911, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a morning news briefing. Both of the couple’s children, who are in high school, were inside the home at the time of the shooting.

“One of the children was the 911 caller,” Davis said, adding that the son described events that investigators have since corroborated through interior home surveillance cameras.

Police said Cerina Fairfax was shot and killed before Justin Fairfax took his own life. Davis said the violence unfolded quickly, with little or no gap between the shooting and the 911 call.

“If there was a window, it was a very short window,” Davis said. “I think it all kind of happened at once. It all happened pretty spontaneously.”

Authorities are executing a search warrant at the home to recover evidence, including the firearm used in the shooting and any additional weapons.

Davis described the case as both “high profile” and deeply tragic, noting Fairfax’s once-prominent political standing.

“At one point in time, I think it’s fair to say that Justin Fairfax was a rising star politically, not just in Northern Virginia, but in Virginia,” Davis said. “So it’s high profile in nature. 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.”

The couple had been separated but continued living in the same home in separate bedrooms, Davis said.

Divorce proceedings were underway, with court appearances scheduled in the near future. Fairfax had recently been served legal paperwork related to the case, which investigators are examining as a possible 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 the department had previously been called to the home once, in January, after Fairfax alleged that his wife assaulted him. Investigators reviewed footage from cameras installed inside the residence and determined that no assault had occurred, Davis said.

The cameras later helped corroborate the sequence of events described by the 911 caller, he added.

Davis emphasized that authorities are prioritizing 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 noted the broader emotional toll of domestic conflict, 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.”

Fairfax, 45, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022. A Democrat, he was elected alongside former Gov. Ralph Northam and was once viewed as a potential future statewide candidate.

Fairfax’s political career was derailed in 2019 when two women publicly accused him of sexual assault. Fairfax denied the allegations, and no criminal charges were filed.

The accusations sparked national attention and 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 employment were not immediately available.

The investigation into Thursday’s fatal shooting remains ongoing. Authorities said they are continuing to collect evidence and interview witnesses as they work to piece together the final hours leading up to the killings.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as more information becomes available. 

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.