A domestic fight, a gun, and a Virginia tragedy

The murder-suicide of a former state official and his wife reveals a common thread in family violence

By Kunle Falayi

The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO

The murder-suicide of former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, last week brought into focus a family tragedy that has been more common in Virginia than in many other states.

Virginia is among the nation’s top 10 states with the highest number of murder-suicide cases, Gun Violence Archive data shows. 

A total of 173 cases have been recorded in the commonwealth since 2016. Every murder-suicide involved the use of a firearm, according to the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO’s review of data from the Gun Violence Archive. 

Police say Fairfax shot and killed his wife and then himself in their Annandale, Va. home, before one of the couple’s children called 911.

In this case and in hundreds of similar incidents reported nationwide each year, a firearm is often the weapon used, according to the Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger gun‑control measures. 

A domestic argument can instantly escalate to homicide and suicide when a gun is present in the house, said Kristen Rand, government affairs director at the Violence Policy Center.

“From our years of work, it’s clear that murder-suicides can be both spontaneous and premeditated,” she said. “The point is that the pattern of homicide followed by suicide is far less likely to occur if a gun is not readily available, recognizing the weapon’s unique lethality.”

For Virginia, it’s another episode underscoring ongoing concerns about gun violence. State lawmakers have continued serious policy debates over firearm safety since the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, which left 32 students and faculty dead.

This year, Virginia lawmakers are deliberating at least six bills, which would ban future sales of assault weapons, raise the minimum age required to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 and restore universal background checks.

Governor Abigail Spanberger proposed amendments to existing legislation that would seek to prohibit the possession of magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. The proposals would not apply to firearms bought or owned before July 1, 2026.

The amendments would also ensure that the Virginia State Police resumes background checks on private sales of firearms and require safe storage of weapons in homes with minors.

“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America, and that should motivate all of us to ask ourselves what we can do to mitigate this harm,” Spanberger said in a statement.

The General Assembly is scheduled to consider the amendments this week.

Since 2016, the number of murder-suicide cases in Virginia has ranged between 9 and 24. In 2020, there was a drop in cases nationwide. But that year was a recent peak of 24 cases in the Commonwealth. Four years later, reported cases were down to nine and then nearly doubled last year.

Although Virginia’s raw number of murder‑suicide cases places it near the top nationally, the state’s standing shifts once population is taken into account.

Virginia has recorded 2.2 murder‑suicides per 100,000 residents since 2016, a rate that ranks it 25th nationwide. Even so, the Commonwealth’s prevalence is higher than that of neighboring states, including Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Kentucky has a higher rate of 3 cases per 100,000 people.

Nationally, Wisconsin has the highest prevalence, with 21.2 cases per 100,000 residents, followed by Texas at 20.4 cases.

There is no single answer to preventing murder-suicide, Rand said. But mental health counseling, anger management, resources for victims, and removing firearms from homes where there is domestic violence are all important to a prevention strategy, she said. 

Murder-suicides are part of a larger and persistent challenge of gun violence in Virginia and across the U.S.

Last year, the U.S. recorded more than 38,000 gun deaths, including officer-involved shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that tracks reports of gun violence in real time. In Virginia, 300 of those deaths took place in about 850 different shootings.

Firearms deaths in the U.S. decreased 5.4% between 2024 and 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Are you in a crisis? You can find help through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741

Reach Kunle Falayi at kunle.falayi@vcij.org.