Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife and himself in their home in Annandale, police say.
Once considered a rising star in Democratic politics, he committed the tragic act of violence amid “a complicated or messy divorce,” Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis said. Year earlier, the attorney’s political career crumbled after women said he sexually assaulted them.
Cerina Fairfax, an accomplished dentist and devoted mother, was found dead in the home with her husband in the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive shortly after midnight Thursday. The couple’s son and daughter, who are high-school age, were home at the time, Davis said.
Justin is believed to have shot Cerina several times in their basement before running upstairs to the primary bedroom and turning the same gun on himself, Davis said. Both were pronounced dead on the scene.
The couple’s teen son called 911 and said his mom was bleeding and he didn’t know where his dad was.
Cerina had cameras installed inside the home at some point, police said. Detectives used them to corroborate the sequence of events.
“Certainly a traumatic event for those children to live through,” Davis said. The children are now with family members.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
An investigation is underway, and authorities plan to get a search warrant for the home. Police said there is no threat to the community.
Court records show Cerina had filed for divorce. Davis said the couple were separated but still living together in separate bedrooms. Justin had been served paperwork recently, and a court date was pending.
“That may have been a spark,” Davis said. “Detectives will figure that out, what led to this tragedy here.”
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife and himself in their home in Annandale, while their teen children were home, Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis said. Here’s his full news conference, with his answers to questions from reporters.
Cerina Fairfax was an accomplished dentist and devoted mom
Cerina ran a family dental practice in Fairfax and was an accomplished dentist and member of several professional associations.
She graduated from Duke University and Virginia Commonwealth University and was recognized as a VCU outstanding graduate, a bio on her dental practice’s website says. She shared that she loved to travel, read, care for pet dogs and “spend time with her wonderful family.”
Cameras disproved Justin Fairfax’s report that Cerina Fairfax assaulted him, police said
Fairfax County police responded to the home once before, earlier this year. Justin called police in January and accused his wife of assaulting him, Davis said. But the cameras she installed in the home served as key evidence.
“We reviewed those cameras and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said.
No arrests were made, and no charges were filed against either Cerina or Justin.
He served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022. His election made history; he was just the second African-American elected statewide in Virginia. He appeared poised to take over the governor’s office from Ralph Northam in 2019 after a scandal over a racist photo in Northam’s medical school yearbook.
Then, two women accused him of sexual assault. Fairfax denied the allegations, tried to clear his name and was never charged with a crime. Fairfax was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party.
He practiced law after leaving public office, Davis said.
“Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor,” Davis said. “So tragic for the children to lose both parents. Extra tragic for them to be in the home when it occurred.”
The police department’s victim services division is supporting the family and the children in particular, Davis said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
