Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and wife Cerina

 

By Staff Report

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax and then killed himself while their two teenage children were home, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. The couple’s son made the 911 call.

Fairfax County police arrived at the home in Annandale, Virginia, around midnight Thursday. The shooting appears to have stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding “what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said. Fairfax had recently been served paperwork indicating when he was next scheduled to appear in court in the divorce proceedings.

Grandparents and other family members are caring for the children with support from the Fairfax County Police Department’s victim services division.

Fairfax, a Democrat, served as lieutenant governor under Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam from 2018 to 2022. He also ran for governor of Virginia in 2021. He returned to practice law after serving as lieutenant governor, while his wife worked as a dentist, according to Davis.