Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Kills Wife, Then Takes His Own Life

Justin Fairfax, the former Virginia lieutenant governor once seen as a rising Democratic star, killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, and then took his own life inside their Annandale home, police said Thursday.

Fairfax County police responded shortly after midnight to the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive after one of the couple’s teenage children called 911. Both children, who are in high school, were inside the house when the shooting unfolded, police said. Cerina Fairfax, identified by investigators as a dentist, and Justin Fairfax had been separated but were still living in the home in separate bedrooms.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described the killing as tied to an “ongoing domestic dispute” and what he called a “complicated or messy divorce.” Police said divorce proceedings were underway, the couple had recently been served paperwork related to the case, and a court date was pending. Investigators believe that conflict may have been a trigger.

According to police, Justin Fairfax shot Cerina Fairfax in the basement and then went upstairs to the primary bedroom, where he shot himself with the same firearm. Cameras installed inside the home helped investigators corroborate the sequence of events. Authorities said there was no threat to the community while officers carried out a search warrant to recover evidence, including the gun and any additional weapons.

The case has drawn attention not only because of the violence inside a family home, but because of Fairfax’s profile in Virginia politics. He served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 and was the second African-American elected statewide in Virginia. He also ran for governor in 2021. His career had already been shadowed by sexual assault allegations in 2019, which he denied and for which he was never charged.

Police also said Fairfax had called them in January and accused Cerina Fairfax of assaulting him, but investigators determined that the alleged assault did not occur and no charges were filed. That earlier episode now sits alongside the divorce dispute as part of a troubling record of escalating conflict inside the home.

The children are now with family members, police said. For advocates and public health officials, the case is a stark reminder that separation can be one of the most dangerous periods in domestic violence cases, especially when a firearm is accessible and the people at risk are still living under the same roof.