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mahatmakanejeeves

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42. Divorce judge was concerned about Justin Fairfax's recent mental health, 2022 gun incident, court documents show

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Apr 17, 2026, 10:54 AM

Apr 17

Divorce judge was concerned about Justin Fairfax’s recent mental health, 2022 gun incident, court documents show

Tracy Johnke | tracy.johnke@wtop.com
April 17, 2026, 9:17 AM

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax purchased a handgun in 2022, and had it with him during “some kind of adverse psychological event” that year, court documents show.

Fairfax killed his estranged wife Cerina Fairfax and himself on Thursday, days before an April 21 hearing in his divorce case and a court-ordered April 30 deadline to move out of their home in Annandale.

The 2022 events were detailed in a March 30 Fairfax County Circuit Court order on the custody of their two teenage children. ... According to the document, Justin Fairfax purchased a handgun with money intended for his children’s riding lessons. At some point later, he left home with the gun and was found by relatives in a nearby public park “after frantic searching.”

They were “unable to calm him down over the course of several hours,” and Justin’s brother had to call in a mental health professional, according to the document.

{snip}

Tracy Johnke
Tracy Johnke rejoined the WTOP News family in 2026 as a reporter.
tracy.johnke@wtop.com

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Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself, police say [View all] mahatmakanejeeves Apr 16 OP

Was about to hit post BumRushDaShow Apr 16 #1

Northam mercuryblues Apr 16 #2

That's it! BumRushDaShow Apr 16 #9

I hate stories like this one. COL Mustard Apr 16 #24

Lt. Gov. is a stepping stone for higher offices BumRushDaShow Apr 16 #30

I think your timeline is off a bit. onenote Apr 17 #36

I still think he had aspirations and that clashed with his family life and checkered past BumRushDaShow Apr 17 #41

I'm friends with his former campaign manager. Fairfax was done with no new aspirations onenote Apr 17 #44

And that sounds like people like George Santos BumRushDaShow Apr 17 #45

Virginia Ex-Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife and Self, Police Say mahatmakanejeeves Apr 16 #3

This is awful Jilly_in_VA Apr 16 #4

Kids Orangenero Apr 16 #5

I can't imagine what they are going through. COL Mustard Apr 16 #25

Reports their children were in the house at the time AverageOldGuy Apr 16 #6

Kids are 16 and 14 Jilly_in_VA Apr 17 #39

This is terrible. Raine1967 Apr 16 #7

Story is in Wikipedia FakeNoose Apr 16 #8

Domestic abuse cuts across all income levels - TBF Apr 16 #10

So sad 😞. n/t iluvtennis Apr 16 #11

His wife was a dentist. mahatmakanejeeves Apr 16 #12

Thank you. niyad Apr 16 #14

Heartbreaking. Interesting how all the stories kept mentioning niyad Apr 16 #13

I feel that it should always be mentioned either way Polybius Apr 16 #23

It was in post 3. I agree that it sould always be mentioned, but we niyad Apr 16 #26

Horrible get the red out Apr 16 #15

Instead of addressing the problem as mental health maybe the "cure" should be couched in in2herbs Apr 16 #19

Given the past allegations, I am not surprised. 58Sunliner Apr 16 #16

They were already divorcing; living in the same house though. Callie1979 Apr 16 #20

Sadly, that is not always a possibility. niyad Apr 16 #27

Well, money certainly shouldn't have been an issue; she was a dentist. Callie1979 Apr 16 #28

There could have been any number of factors in play, none of which niyad Apr 16 #29

Not at all. I've helped a couple women leave abusers in the past. Its never easy Callie1979 Apr 17 #38

Thank you for all you have done. niyad Apr 17 #40

He was the one who was ordered to move out by the judge. LisaL Apr 16 #32

Could well have been about a custody issue & not wanting to leave kids with him? SheltieLover Apr 16 #31

Why should she have left and not him? LisaL Apr 16 #33

Agreed. 58Sunliner Apr 16 #34

The second you bring a gun into the home you've dramatically increased the risk of death for your family 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ mahatmakanejeeves Apr 16 #17

This is where EDUCATION about firearms is important TexasBushwhacker Apr 16 #22

Leaving an abuser and sociopath, is the most dangerous time in a woman's life. 58Sunliner Apr 16 #35

What a piece of shit. TheProle Apr 16 #18

Yep. LudwigPastorius Apr 16 #21

Court documents reveal mounting tension in Fairfax marriage before murder-suicide mahatmakanejeeves Apr 17 #37

Divorce judge was concerned about Justin Fairfax's recent mental health, 2022 gun incident, court documents show mahatmakanejeeves Apr 17 #42

I lived in Annandale some 30 years ago. Nice town. Lots of military families. My neighbor worked at the Pentagon. CTyankee Apr 17 #43