Virginia Governor Abigail D. Spanberger ordered flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff on Monday (May 4) in honor of the late Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax, who was tragically shot by her husband, former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, in April.
In a proclamation shared on May 1, Spanberger ordered the lowering in honor of Cerina and other victims of domestic violence, according to Newsweek.
On April 16, Dr. Fairfax and Lt. Governor Fairfax were both found dead in their home by Fairfax County Police. Police ruled the case a murder-suicide, saying that Fairfax shot Cerina multiple times in the back before going upstairs and shooting himself.
According to court documents obtained by NBC News 4 in April, Cerina filed for divorce in 2025. A county judge granted Cerina custody of their teen children in March and ordered Lt. Governor Fairfax to move out of their home by April 30.
The documents claim Fairfax struggled with alcoholism and isolated himself from his family in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against him in 2019 while he was in office.
“The wife testified that heavy daily alcohol consumption by the father has become the norm,” the judge wrote in the custody opinion.
Lt. Governor Fairfax previously called county police in January, claiming that Cerina was assaulting him. However, Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis later confirmed through video footage that the assault never occurred.
In her proclamation, shared by Newsweek, Spanberger honored Cerina’s professional legacy as a dentist and addressed the importance of raising awareness for domestic violence across the state.
"We remember Dr. Cerina Fairfax’s life and her devotion to others, her patients, and most especially, her children,” she wrote. "We honor Dr. Cerina Fairfax by drawing attention to the reality that women in any community or circumstance may face domestic violence, and we lower the flags in memory of her and all women whose lives have been lost to domestic violence.”
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