Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife and then himself overnight, local police told the media Thursday morning.
The couple’s children were in the home at the time, and Fairfax’s son called 911 just after midnight.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described the incident as the result of a “domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce.”
While the investigation has just begun, officials said attorneys recently served Fairfax with paperwork indicating when he was scheduled to appear in court for divorce proceedings.
Fairfax, 47, a Democrat, was lieutenant governor under Gov. Ralph Northam from 2018 to 2022.
During his tenure, two women accused Fairfax of sexual assault, prompting Democrats to call for his resignation. He denied the accusations, saying all interactions were consensual, remained in his role and called for an FBI investigation into the allegations.
He ran for governor in 2021 but lost in the Democratic primary to the ultimate winner, Terry McAuliffe
