ANNANDALE, Virginia: Virginia's former lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, once seen as a rising Democratic leader before sexual assault allegations damaged his career, shot and killed his wife and then himself, police said on April 16.

Both Fairfax and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, were found dead in their home in Annandale, northern Virginia, after their teenage son called 911 just after midnight on April 16, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.

The couple had been going through a divorce, and Fairfax had recently received court papers about his next hearing. Davis said this could have triggered the incident, adding that investigators would determine whether it played a role in the tragedy.

In 2019, Fairfax briefly appeared likely to become Virginia's governor when then-Governor Ralph Northam faced backlash over a racist yearbook photo, leading to calls for his resignation. However, Fairfax's prospects collapsed when two women accused him of sexual assault. He strongly denied the allegations.

Vanessa Tyson alleged that Fairfax, then a Columbia Law School student working for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel room during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Two days later, Meredith Watson accused Fairfax of raping her in 2000 when they were students at Duke University.

Fairfax maintained that both encounters were consensual and refused to step down. He later attempted to run for governor, reportedly to restore his reputation, but was largely avoided by Virginia Democrats.

Davis described the incident as very sad for the community, saying many people who knew the Fairfax family were shocked, and that police were also stunned.

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi called the deaths devastating, expressing sympathy for the couple's children, loved ones, and friends, and said she shared the widespread sorrow in the state while awaiting more details from law enforcement.