Justin Fairfax, former lieutenant governor of Virginia, kills wife and self in murder-suicide

FILE: Justin Fairfax speaks to supporters at Pink Fish restaurant in Hampton, Va., Thursday, April 8, 2021. Photo by Steve Helber /AP

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The former lieutenant governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax, killed himself and his wife, Cerina Fairfax, at their home just after midnight on Thursday, according to the police.

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Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described it as a murder-suicide, adding it was an ongoing domestic-related dispute surrounding a “messy divorce.”

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Fairfax, a Democrat, served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022. A graduate of Duke University and Columbia Law School, he was just the second Black politician elected statewide in Virginia and had a rising national profile until he faced calls to resign from his own party in 2019.

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Law enforcement secure a crime scene at the home of former Virginia Lt Gov Justin Fairfax on April 16, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Photo by Alex Wong /Getty Images

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His political career unraveled that year after two women accused him of sexual assault, allegations he denied, saying both encounters were consensual. Fairfax entered the 2021 Democratic primary for governor but finished fourth, capturing just 3.5% of the vote.

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Davis said the family’s two teenage children were in the house when the incident occurred. He said it appears Fairfax shot his wife in the home’s basement and then went upstairs to the primary bedroom, where he shot himself.

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One of the children called 911 shortly after midnight, and both Fairfax and his wife were pronounced dead at the scene. He was 47.

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Police said the couple had been separated but continued living in the same home in different areas while divorce proceedings were underway. Fairfax had recently been served paperwork related to an upcoming court appearance, which authorities said may have contributed to the events.

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Fairfax County coroners remove a body from the home of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, in Annandale, Va., Thursday, April 16, 2026. Photo by Cliff Owen /AP

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Authorities said officers had responded to the home once before, in January, after Fairfax reported that his wife had assaulted him. Police later determined that allegation was unfounded after reviewing footage from cameras installed inside the home.

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The cameras were still operating and, along with the 911 call, have helped investigators reconstruct what happened. The firearm used in the shooting is being recovered as part of a search warrant.

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