Dr. Cerina Fairfax is remembered as a mentor and community leader as officials call attention to the broader impact of domestic gun violence toward Black women.
ANNANDALE, Va. — The killing of Dr. Cerina Fairfax is being mourned as both a personal tragedy and a stark example of the broader issue of domestic gun violence, with Virginia leaders and advocacy groups calling for increased awareness and prevention efforts.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Thursday described Fairfax as “a devoted mother, beloved dentist in the Fairfax County community, and engaged supporter of her alma mater,” while emphasizing the wider concerns of domestic violence and mental health.
RELATED: Justin Fairfax murder-suicide shocks Virginia political world, beyond
Fairfax was the head of her practice, Dr. Fairfax and Associates Family Dentistry, and was widely recognized for her contributions to the profession and her community.
According to her practice’s website, Fairfax graduated from Duke University in 1999 before earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005.
An interim dean at VCU’s School of Dentistry said in a statement that Fairfax “embodied the ideals of our profession,” adding that she was “a mentor, role model, and friend to many in our school.”
Fairfax continued her professional development throughout her career, completing hundreds of hours of additional education and maintaining memberships in organizations including the American Dental Association, the Virginia Dental Association, and the Northern Virginia Dental Society.
She was also recognized by VCU’s alumni association as an outstanding graduate of the past decade.
Advocates say her death also underscores a broader pattern. March for Our Lives, a group focused on ending gun violence, pointed to the disproportionate impact of domestic gun violence on Black women.
Executive Director Jaclyn Corin said those experiences are often overlooked.
“Their experiences are often left out of the broader conversation,” Corin said. “If we’re not naming who is most affected, we’re not building solutions that actually meet the scale or the reality of the problem.”
The dental practice declined to comment when reached about Fairfax’s death.
According to a 2017 public Facebook post by Justin Fairfax, the couple met while attending Duke University and were married in 2006.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, resources and support services are available: The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, or you can visit www.TheHotline.org or text “START” to 88788. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
