Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax dies by suicide after fatally shooting his spouse, authorities report

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Justin Fairfax and wife (both late)

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Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life early Thursday morning inside their home in Annandale, Fairfax County police said.

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The incident occurred shortly after midnight on the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive. According to police, the couple’s two teenage children were inside the house at the time of the shooting.

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Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis linked the tragedy to the couple’s ongoing and “complicated” divorce proceedings.

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“I don’t think it’s a secret that there’s been divorce proceedings that have been ongoing,” Chief Davis said. “From what I understand in this early stage, former Lt. Gov. Fairfax was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding that apparently led to this incident last night.”

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The couple had appeared in court on Monday as part of their divorce case, which Mrs. Fairfax first filed last summer. Although they had separated, they were still sharing the family home.

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Mr. Fairfax, 47, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under former Governor Ralph Northam.

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His political career faced significant challenges in 2019 when two women publicly accused him of sexual assault from years earlier. Fairfax denied the allegations, maintaining the encounters were consensual. He completed his term but lost a bid for governor in 2021, effectively ending his political career.

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Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

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