Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia, shot and killed his wife Cerina Fairfax before turning the gun on himself, police have confirmed. The incident occurred at their home in Annandale, Virginia, shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the killings took place amid an ongoing domestic dispute linked to a 'complicated or messy divorce'. The couple's teenage children were in the house and called 911. Davis noted that Fairfax had been served legal papers related to an upcoming court proceeding shortly before the shooting.
Justin Fairfax, 47, served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under Governor Ralph Northam. He was the second African American to hold statewide office in Virginia since Reconstruction. His political career was derailed in 2019 when two women accused him of sexual assault, allegations he denied. He later finished fourth in the 2021 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Court documents obtained by the Washington Post reveal a troubled life after leaving office, including heavy alcohol consumption and isolation. In 2022, Fairfax purchased a gun and was once found in a park with it after leaving home. A judge in the divorce proceedings described him as a 'talented man who struggles with undefined emotional and psychological issues'.
Police had been called to the residence once before in January 2024, when Fairfax accused his wife of assault. Officers determined the allegation was false after reviewing security footage. Journalist Sophia Nelson, a friend of the couple, expressed devastation for the children, stating that Fairfax was 'depressed' and 'in darkness'.
