Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has been found dead in his Virginia home of what police are calling an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is also believed to have killed his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax.
The 47-year-old Black Catholic politician had been served divorce papers by his wife, 49, last summer, leading to what police believe was a domestic dispute late Wednesday night that led to the double shooting just after midnight. One of the couple's two teenage children called 911, initially believing his mother had been stabbed.
Arriving officers found Dr. Fairfax dead in the basement of the family’s Fairfax County, Virginia, home, while the former lieutenant governor was found deceased in another part of the residence. Interior security cameras installed by Dr. Fairfax corroborated the 911 caller’s description of the apparent murder-suicide.
“Half of America probably goes through divorce proceedings at some point in time, and very, very rarely, thankfully, does it ever end up like this,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis in a press conference Thursday morning.
“It is very sad for this community.”
Officers are on scene of a death investigation in the 8100 block of Guinevere Dr in Annandale. An adult male & an adult female were found deceased inside a residence. Preliminarily, all parties are accounted for & there is no threat to the community. Detectives are investigating. pic.twitter.com/O1dC9ayb68
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 16, 2026
Fairfax, a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for governor of Virginia in 2021, was separated from his wife as of June 2024, though they continued to live together. The entered a postnuptial agreement later that year but spoke of the marriage in terms of reconciliation.
Dr. Fairfax, however, notified her husband of her intent to terminate the marriage in June 2025, a legal action the former lieutenant governor successfully contested. A judge ruled in January of this year that Dr. Fairfax’s divorce filing was invalid on a technicality. Proceedings later continued, and Fairfax had been served with legal papers regarding an upcoming court date shortly before this week’s domestic dispute.
“That may have been a spark… that led to this tragedy,” said Davis.
At the time of the shootings, Fairfax was employed as the principal of a private legal firm in Fairfax County, while Dr. Fairfax operated a full-time dentistry practice, also in Fairfax.
Married since 2006, the couple had previously experienced strain in their marriage during Fairfax’s time in Richmond. Just the second African American elected to statewide office in Virginia when voters chose him in 2017, Fairfax was beset by scandal in 2019 when multiple women came forward alleging rape and sexual assault dating back to 2000 and 2004, respectively.
Fairfax denied the accusations, but admitted to consensual relationships outside of his marriage. Dr. Fairfax stood by her husband amid the allegations, which generated scandal but never went to court. Fairfax later initiated several unsuccessful defamation lawsuits against media outlets that aired interviews with his accusers.
Rather than run for reelection as lieutenant governor, Fairfax entered the 2021 race for governor of Virginia, losing in a landslide to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic primary. Fairfax thereafter returned to private life.
After their separation, the Fairfaxes slept in separate bedrooms amid divorce proceedings police described as “messy.” Dr. Fairfax had security cameras installed inside the home as a protective measure, and a January allegation from Fairfax that his wife had assaulted him was later disproved by recorded footage. According to police, the same cameras captured this week’s apparent murder-suicide.
Various public officials have spoken out on the tragedy, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who described a close relationship with the Fairfaxes dating back decades.
“I am heartbroken beyond words,” she said in a statement. “The Fairfax family and my family have been close for as long as I can remember. Our parents knew one another. We grew up in each other's lives. The bond between our families is one I have always carried with me, and today that bond is breaking under the weight of an unthinkable loss.”
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Black Catholic like Fairfax, said the shootings have left him and his wife similarly heavy-hearted.
“Mavis and I are heartbroken by this tragedy,” said Jones. “We are holding Cameron and Carys, along with their loved ones, in our prayers. No family and no child should have to experience this grief. We pray for peace and comfort during this devastating time.”
Fairfax County Police say the investigation of the shootings is ongoing, and that homicide detectives are leading the operation. The department is also offering support to the couple’s two children, who attend local Catholic high schools.
“Our victim services division is leaning into the family, the surviving relatives, the children in particular,” said Chief Davis.
“We’ll do everything we can for them.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing Intimate Partner Violence, help is available. In the US, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
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