Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife in Annandale Home Before Taking His Own Life, Teen Son Calls 911

ANNANDALE, V.A. — A suburban neighborhood just outside Washington, D.C., turned into a devastating tragedy overnight.

Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, once considered a rising political force, is dead after police say he fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before turning the gun on himself inside their Annandale home.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the couple’s teenage son made a 911 call just after midnight Thursday — reporting that something had gone terribly wrong inside the family’s home.

When officers arrived, they found both parents dead from gunshot wounds.

Police say the violence began in the basement, where investigators believe Justin Fairfax shot his wife multiple times. He then reportedly ran upstairs to a bedroom, where he died by suicide using the same weapon.

Two teenage children were inside the home at the time.

Miraculously, neither was physically harmed — but officials say they are now receiving support as they process what happened.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis confirmed the sequence of events during a press briefing, calling the incident a “domestic tragedy.”

Divorce Drama May Have Turned Deadly

Authorities revealed the couple had been going through a contentious divorce, though they were still living under the same roof in their upscale Annandale residence.

Investigators say divorce-related tensions and paperwork may have escalated into deadly violence overnight, but the full motive remains under investigation.

No prior calls or incidents at the home have been confirmed — at least not publicly.