Summary
Justin Fairfax, former lieutenant governor of Virginia, shot and killed his wife Cerina Fairfax and then himself during a domestic dispute amid a difficult divorce. Police found the incident occurred at their home while their teenage children were present.
Key Facts
- Justin Fairfax served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022.
- Fairfax and his wife were going through a complicated divorce and still lived together.
- The shooting happened at their home in Annandale, Virginia, after a 911 call from one of their teenage children.
- Fairfax had faced sexual assault allegations in 2019, which he denied, and later ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2021.
- Court records describe Fairfax as having emotional and psychological struggles affecting his life and family role.
- Police had previously investigated an assault claim by Fairfax against his wife, but found no evidence.
- Fairfax had purchased a gun in 2022 and experienced periods of heavy alcohol use and isolation.
- A judge recently ordered Fairfax to leave the family home and gave primary custody of the children to Cerina Fairfax.
