Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his spouse after which himself of their Annandale dwelling early Thursday, police say.
The taking pictures occurred amid “an advanced or messy divorce,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis mentioned, years after sexual assault allegations derailed Fairfax’s political profession.
Police discovered Fairfax and his spouse, Cerina Fairfax, lifeless within the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive shortly after midnight. The couple’s son and daughter, who’re highschool age, had been dwelling on the time, Davis mentioned.
Justin Fairfax is believed to have shot Cerina a number of instances in a basement earlier than operating upstairs to the first bed room and turning the identical gun on himself, Davis mentioned. Each had been pronounced lifeless on the scene.
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The couple’s teenage son known as 911, police mentioned.
Cerina had cameras put in inside the house sooner or later, police mentioned. Detectives used them to corroborate the sequence of occasions.
“Definitely a traumatic occasion for these youngsters to stay by,” Davis mentioned. The youngsters at the moment are with relations.
An investigation is underway, and authorities plan to get a search warrant for the house. Police mentioned there isn’t any menace to the neighborhood.
Court docket data present Cerina Fairfax, who was a dentist, had filed for divorce. Davis mentioned the couple had been separated, however nonetheless residing collectively in separate bedrooms. Fairfax had been served paperwork lately, and a court docket date was pending.
“That will have been a spark,” Davis mentioned. “Detectives will determine that out, what led to this tragedy right here.”
Fairfax County police responded to the house as soon as earlier than, earlier this 12 months.
Justin Fairfax known as police in January and accused his spouse of assaulting him, Davis mentioned. The cameras Cerina put in confirmed the assault by no means occurred, Davis mentioned. No arrests had been made, and no expenses had been filed towards Cerina or Justin.
Justin Fairfax was the lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022. His election made historical past: He was simply the second African-American elected statewide in Virginia.
He appeared poised to take over the governor’s workplace from Ralph Northam in 2019 after a scandal over a racist picture in Northam’s medical college yearbook.
Then, two girls accused Fairfax of sexual assault. Fairfax denied the allegations, tried to clear his identify and was by no means charged with a criminal offense.
Fairfax was as soon as thought of a rising star within the Democratic Celebration, however the accusations derailed his political profession.
He was an legal professional and practiced legislation after leaving public workplace, Davis mentioned.
“Definitely a fall from grace for a comparatively high-profile household that seemingly had quite a lot of issues going of their favor,” Davis mentioned. “So tragic for the kids to lose each mother and father. Additional tragic for them to be within the dwelling when it occurred.”
The police division’s sufferer companies division is supporting the household and the kids, specifically, Davis mentioned.
In case you or somebody you already know is experiencing home violence, contact the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
