Edited by Dan McDermott

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis on Wednesday confirmed that former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Serena Fairfax, inside their Annandale home shortly after midnight, then killed himself with the same firearm.

According to Davis, the couple’s two teenage children were inside the home at the time. One of the children called 911. Both Justin and Serena Fairfax were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the incident appears to have stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute tied to divorce proceedings. Davis said Fairfax had recently been served paperwork related to an upcoming court appearance, which investigators believe may have been a contributing factor, though the investigation remains ongoing.

Authorities said the shooting occurred in the basement of the home, after which Fairfax went upstairs to a bedroom and took his own life.

Police also confirmed a prior incident in January in which Fairfax reported that his wife had assaulted him. Investigators reviewed video from cameras inside the home and determined that allegation was untrue. No charges were filed at that time.

Davis said there had been no other prior calls for service to the residence.

The firearm used in the incident has been recovered, but police have not yet said whether it was legally owned. Investigators are continuing to process the scene and execute a search warrant for additional evidence.

Serena Fairfax was identified as a dentist. Justin Fairfax, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia, had returned to practicing law.

Police said victim services personnel are assisting the family, and relatives are with the children.

The full press conference and a complete transcript are included below.

Hey guys. Yeah, Chief Kevin Davis has just walked up to the microphone. He’s ready to give us an update. So let’s go.

All right, folks. Good morning. I’m here to confirm the identity of our shooter in this murder-suicide that happened several hours ago as former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax. Former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside of their home and then shot and killed himself.

I think you have the rest of the details that Captain Kosk gave earlier this morning, so I’m just going to pause right here and answer any of your questions to the best of my ability.

Right now, I can just tell you this has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce.

Reporter: Chief, can you elaborate on what the investigation has revealed about the status of their marriage? Of course, the kids are what everybody’s thinking about as well.

So far, what we know is probably what you all know. I don’t think it’s a secret that there have been divorce proceedings ongoing. From what I understand at this early stage, former Lieutenant Governor Fairfax was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding that apparently led to this incident last night.

Both of their children—teenagers, the boy older than the girl—were in the house when it happened. That’s horrible news for the family. Certainly a traumatic event for those children to live through.

It all culminated last night when Justin Fairfax shot several times and killed his wife, ran to a different part of the home, and then killed himself with the same firearm.

Reporter: What do you know about the scene inside?

It seems like the murder took place in the basement. It’s described as a finished/unfinished basement. At some point after Justin shot and killed his wife, he ran upstairs into the primary bedroom and shot and killed himself.

Reporter: Have there been previous domestic calls to this location?

We checked on that. In January of this year, Mr. Fairfax called police and alleged that his wife assaulted him. We responded. There were several cameras set up inside the house. Apparently Mrs. Fairfax had set up a lot of cameras during the divorce proceedings.

We reviewed those cameras and corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred. So there was no arrest. A report was written, but the allegation was proven to be untrue.

Reporter: Does the high-profile nature of the family play into this?

This is a high-profile family. Justin Fairfax, before, during, and after serving as lieutenant governor, was a rising political figure. So it’s high-profile and tragic—a fall from grace for a family that seemingly had a lot going in their favor.

It’s tragic for the children to lose both parents, and even more tragic that they were in the home when it occurred. Our victim services division is assisting the family.

Reporter: Did cameras capture the incident?

Detectives have gathered information from cameras, and one of the children was the 911 caller just after midnight. He described some things that we’ve since corroborated.

Reporter: What do you know about the gun?

I don’t know anything about the gun yet. It appears the same firearm was used in both deaths.

We will be here for a while executing a search warrant and collecting evidence, including the firearm.

Reporter: Were the cameras still operational?

I believe they were.

We don’t know who set them up, but we know Mrs. Fairfax installed several cameras. When Mr. Fairfax alleged assault in January, those cameras showed it did not occur.

That’s the only time Fairfax County Police had previously been at the home.

Reporter: Are family members with the children?

Yes. Grandparents and other family members are involved. Their well-being is a primary concern.

Reporter: What about the living situation during the divorce?

They were separated but living together in separate areas of the home. There were ongoing divorce proceedings and upcoming court appearances. He had recently been served paperwork indicating his next court date. That may have been a factor—detectives will determine that.

A mother was shot and killed, then he took his own life. There were no other obvious red flags.

In hindsight, people may identify warning signs, but many go through divorce without it ending like this. It’s very tragic for the community.

Reporter: Was the firearm legally owned?

I don’t know. We’ll determine that.

Reporter: Timeline?

Just after midnight. It all happened very quickly. There was no standoff or prolonged event.

Reporter: What about the previous false report?

He was not charged. It’s a high bar to charge for false reporting. Officers determined it did not occur, and a report was written.

Reporter: Any mental health concerns?

I don’t know. I do know the family was going through a very difficult time with the separation and divorce.

Reporter: Identify the victim?

Serena Fairfax is the victim. She was a dentist. Mr. Fairfax was an attorney and former lieutenant governor. Two teenage children are in high school.

Reporter: Were both deceased when police arrived?

Yes. Both were pronounced at the scene.

Reporter: Any other prior police involvement?

To the best of my knowledge, only the January 2026 call.

Reporter: Were both children home?

Yes. The son called 911. One boy and one girl.

And folks, that’s all I have right now. When we get more information, we’ll share it. The focus right now is the crime scene investigation and the children.

Thank you.