Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, wife dead in apparent murder-suicide, police say

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide in their home in Annandale, Virginia, police said Thursday.

Fairfax County police said that just after midnight, Fairfax shot his wife several times in the basement of their home and then went upstairs to the primary bedroom and shot and killed himself.

Both of their teenage children were home when the incident occurred. According to two sources with knowledge of the investigation, Fairfax’s son called 911 just after midnight from the Fairfaxs’ home. The caller said he thought his mother, Cerina Fairfax, had been stabbed. When police arrived at the home, they found bullet casings near her body. Later, they found Justin Fairfax upstairs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said that Fairfax and his wife were in the early stages of divorce proceedings, and Fairfax had recently been served paperwork related to that divorce. The couple had been living together but were separated, residing in separate bedrooms.

In January, Fairfax called police alleging his wife assaulted him, although police determined at the time that the assault never occurred, based on footage from cameras at the home that had been placed by Cerina Fairfax.

Fairfax served as the 41st lieutenant governor of Virginia, serving from 2018 until 2022. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.