Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax killed his wife before turning the gun on himself at the couple’s home in Annandale on Thursday in a shocking incident.
The murder-suicide, which occurred shortly after midnight, was preceded by an emergency call by one of the couple’s two children, who were present in the home at the time of the shooting but remained unharmed.
The Fairfax County Police Department, which shared preliminary findings, believes the 47-year-old man first shot his wife, Dr. Serina W. Fairfax, in the basement of the home.
Later, he ran to the couple’s master bedroom, where he used the same gun on himself, which police have not yet recovered, according to KUTV.
Justin Fairfax and Serena’s troubled marriage
The couple fell in love after meeting at Duke University in 2000. After the university era, the couple tied the knot in 2006.
However, martial problems later arose in their marriage.
In 2019, their marriage was rocked when Justin was accused of sexual assault during their college years.
The response seemed to be that Serena stayed out of the spotlight, but the marriage remained active.
But two years after Justin completes his term as Lieutenant Governor in 2024, the couple reportedly split.
Nevertheless, the couple continued to live in the same house.
That same year, an attempt was made to resolve their marital troubles. A PNA, or postnuptial agreement, was signed in December 2024, intended to “preserve the marriage.”
However, all the positive developments were reversed when Serena officially filed for divorce eight months later, on July 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, tensions reached a fever pitch in early 2026, when police arrived at the couple’s home responding to Justin’s claims that his wife had assaulted him.
But this was proved wrong by the CCTV footage installed inside the house.
