00:00In a tragic and shocking turn of events, former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax
00:05and his wife, Dr. Serena Fairfax, are dead after what police say was a murder-suicide
00:11inside their family home in Annandale, Virginia.
00:14Their two teenage children were inside the house when it happened.
00:18Hey everyone, welcome back to Primetime World News.
00:22This is a developing story that broke just yesterday.
00:25A man who was once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party has died in an unthinkable
00:31act of domestic violence.
00:33Here's everything we know right now.
00:36According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, officers responded to the home shortly
00:42after midnight on Thursday, April 16th, after receiving a 911 call from the couple's older son.
00:48When police arrived, they found 47-year-old Justin Fairfax dead from a self-inflicted gunshot
00:54wound upstairs in a bedroom.
00:56In the basement, they discovered his wife, Dr. Serena Fairfax, dead from multiple gunshot
01:01wounds.
01:03Police have officially ruled this a murder-suicide.
01:07The couple's two teenage children were home at the time, but were not physically injured.
01:11They are now with family members.
01:16Justin Fairfax was once one of Virginia's brightest political talents.
01:20Elected lieutenant governor in 2017 alongside Ralph Northam, he was the second African American
01:26to hold statewide office in Virginia.
01:28Many saw him as a future governor, or even a national figure.
01:32However, his political career was severely damaged in 2019, after two women came forward
01:38with credible sexual assault allegations against him.
01:41Fairfax strongly denied both accusations and was never criminally charged.
01:45He finished his term, but lost the Democratic primary for governor in 2021 and never held
01:51elected office again.
01:52According to multiple reports and court documents, Fairfax and his wife had been going through
01:57an extremely bitter divorce.
01:59Serena Fairfax had recently filed for divorce after nearly 20 years of marriage.
02:04Court records reportedly show accusations of alcohol abuse, financial problems, and instability.
02:09Just weeks ago, a judge had ordered Justin Fairfax to move out of the family home,
02:14and he had lost custody of the children.
02:16One report even claims Fairfax used money that was supposed to be for his children's horseback
02:21riding lessons to purchase the gun used in the tragedy.
02:24This appears to be yet another heartbreaking case of domestic violence ending in murder-suicide
02:29amid a collapsing marriage.
02:31Our hearts go out to the Fairfax children, who have now lost both parents in one night,
02:36and to Dr. Serena Fairfax's family and friends.
02:39She was a respected dentist in the community.
02:41This story is still developing.
02:43We will bring you updates as more information is released,
02:46including any funerals or statements from Virginia officials.
02:50Violence like this is devastating, especially when children are left behind.
02:54If you or someone you know...
02:55Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
02:58What are your reactions to this story?
03:00If you're new here, make sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don't miss future updates.
03:07Take care of yourselves.
Comments