Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, 47, and his wife, dentist Cerina Fairfax, 49, were found dead in their home in Annandale, a Washington, D.C. suburb, in what authorities describe as an apparent murder-suicide. Their teenage son called police shortly after midnight to report the incident, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.

Chief Davis stated on Thursday that the tragedy appears linked to the couple's ongoing divorce proceedings. He explained that Fairfax had recently been served paperwork related to an upcoming court hearing, which allegedly triggered the event. The Associated Press reported that the couple separated in 2024 and filed for divorce last year, but were still living together in the same home with their two children, both of whom were present during the shootings.

Davis added that Cerina Fairfax had installed cameras in the residence, and Justin Fairfax called police in January, claiming his wife had assaulted him. However, footage from the cameras purportedly disproved this allegation. Fairfax, once considered a rising star in Virginia's Democratic Party, faced sexual assault allegations starting in 2019 while serving as lieutenant governor. Despite calls for his resignation, he remained in office until 2022, denying the accusations as false.

The incident has sent shockwaves through Virginia, with officials expressing condolences. U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia issued a joint statement, saying they are keeping the family, especially the two children, in their prayers. Current Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi called the news "devastating." Fairfax ran for governor in 2021 but garnered less than four percent of the vote, largely fading from the political scene afterward.

Source: www.aljazeera.com