Justin Fairfax Kills Wife Dr. Cerina Fairfax, Then Takes His Own Life in Annandale

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, and then took his own life inside their home in Annandale, Virginia, police said.

ABC News reported that Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told reporters there was an "ongoing domestic dispute surrounding a complicated, messy divorce" between Justin Fairfax and his wife, who was a dentist.

ABC

NBC News said Davis described the shootings as apparently part of a "domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce," and that the couple’s older son called 911 just after midnight.

KATV’s local report said officers responded shortly after midnight to the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive for a death investigation and found a man and a woman dead inside a residence.

KATV further said detectives’ preliminary findings indicate Justin Fairfax, 47, shot his wife, Dr. Cerina W. Fairfax, before turning the gun on himself, and that the murder happened in the basement before Justin Fairfax ran upstairs to the primary bedroom.

NBC News added that Davis said Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside the home and then went upstairs to the primary bedroom and shot and killed himself.

Police said the couple’s two teenage children were inside the home at the time, and ABC News reported that their son, the eldest child, called 911, while WTOP later described patients mourning her killing after police said he shot her and then killed himself.

Multiple outlets tied the incident to the couple’s divorce proceedings and to prior domestic-related calls at the same Annandale home.

ABC News said the couple was going through a divorce, and that Davis told reporters Fairfax was recently served paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding that "apparently led to this incident last night."

ABC News

KATV similarly said police believe the murder happened after Justin Fairfax was served paperwork indicating when he was scheduled to next appear in court for the ongoing divorce proceedings, and Davis described it as something that may have "sparked" the shooting.

NBC News reported that Davis said Fairfax was recently served paperwork indicating when he was scheduled to next appear in court for the divorce proceedings and that "That may have been a spark," adding that "detectives will figure that out" as they investigate what "led to this tragedy here."

USA Today said Fairfax County Circuit Court records show Cerina Fairfax filed for divorce on July 18, 2025, and that an order issued on April 10 directed Justin Fairfax to appear in court on April 21.

USA Today also reported that a judge had ordered Justin to leave their home by April 30, and that the case remained pending the day of the shooting.

ABC News also said police responded to a domestic call at the couple’s Annandale home in January, but no charges were filed from that incident, while NBC News said detectives later determined an assault never occurred based on video from cameras installed by Cerina Fairfax.

Police said cameras installed inside the home played a role in corroborating the sequence of events and in addressing an earlier allegation.

ABC News reported that Davis said Cerina Fairfax had set up several cameras in the house prior to the January domestic call, and that footage from the cameras had evidence from Thursday's incident.

ABC News added that the camera footage previously led investigators to determine that the January 911 call, where the former lieutenant governor alleged his wife assaulted him, was uncorroborated.

NBC News said Davis described the couple as still living together but sleeping in separate bedrooms and that police were in the preliminary stage of the investigation, with a search warrant to recover evidence including the firearm Fairfax used.

KATV said police believe the murder happened in the basement and that Justin Fairfax ran upstairs to the primary bedroom, and it said he used the same gun but police have not recovered it yet.

WTOP reported that the children were being supported by the victim services division, and NBC News said police tape surrounded the Fairfax home Thursday morning as two gurneys were rolled out before the investigation continued.

NBC News also included emergency response audio in which a dispatcher described the scene, saying, "He has got a firearm with him, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."

Virginia political and community figures reacted to the deaths, with multiple outlets quoting statements that emphasized the children and Dr. Cerina Fairfax’s role in her community.

ABC News said Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger released a message on X Thursday saying she was praying for the Fairfax children, quoting, "Dr. Fairfax was a devoted mother, beloved dentist in the Fairfax County community, and engaged supporter of her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University."

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NBC News reported that Spanberger said, "The murder of Dr. Cerina Fairfax in an apparent murder-suicide is a horrific tragedy," and that she was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy.

NBC News also quoted former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who said, "Pam and I are devastated by this heartbreaking news," and added, "I had the privilege of getting to know the Fairfaxes while our families served together."

Associated Press described the dental community’s response, including Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan writing that their two teenaged children were "the people she cherished most," and it quoted Terron Sims II saying, "It was an expression of love and compassion," to WUSA-TV.

Associated Press also quoted interim dean Jeffrey Johnson saying, "As a clinician and alumna, Dr. Fairfax embodied the ideals of our profession — dedication to her patients, commitment to growth, and a deep sense of purpose in her work each day."

WTOP described patients leaving flowers outside the closed dental clinic, including Dottie Shields saying, "She sat and chatted with me at my last appointment just two weeks ago," and Arlean Gabbert saying, "Lovely, compassionate — a wonderful dentist and a wonderful person."

Court documents and legal context were described by multiple outlets as the weeks before the killings included orders affecting custody and residence.

NBC News said a judge awarded Cerina Fairfax custody of their children last month, according to court documents, and it said the two were set to return to court Monday for a three-day trial concerning the splitting of assets, with Justin Fairfax ordered to leave their home by April 30.

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USA Today said Cerina Fairfax filed for divorce on July 18, 2025, and that an order issued on April 10 directed Justin Fairfax to appear in court on April 21, while also reporting that the judge had ordered him to move out by the end of April.

Associated Press said the judge overseeing the divorce had told Justin Fairfax to move out by the end of April, writing that "it is clear tensions in the Fairfax home have been extremely high for an extended period of time."

Associated Press also quoted the judge’s assessment that Cerina “has been the undisputed primary caregiver to the children in all aspects of their lives,” and that she had been “a port in a storm for her children.”

Fox 5 DC reported that court documents indicate that in the days leading up to the incident, Justin Fairfax was drinking heavily and struggling with his mental health, and it quoted the family statement asking for privacy: "This is an unimaginably difficult moment for the family, and our attention is on supporting one another."

ABC News said "The investigation is ongoing" and NBC News said police were in the preliminary stage and that detectives would figure out what led to the tragedy.