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Virginia leaders expressed shock and heartbreak Thursday after police said former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself inside their Annandale home.

The couple’s teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight to report the shootings. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the couple had been going through a divorce.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger called Cerina Fairfax a devoted mother, a beloved Fairfax County dentist and an active supporter of her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University. Cerina Fairfax earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from VCU in 2005.

Spanberger offered prayers for the couple’s children and described the killing as a horrific tragedy. She also urged Virginians to remember that domestic violence can occur in any family or community and pointed to resources for people facing domestic violence or mental health crises.

Kenyan McDuffie, who left his at-large D.C. Council seat to run for mayor, said he had grown up alongside the Fairfax family. He described the deaths as an “unthinkable loss” and said the two families had been close for as long as he could remember.

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine also extended condolences to the children. Justin Fairfax had co-chaired Warner’s 2014 reelection campaign in Virginia. Warner shared the National Domestic Violence Hotline number, 1-800-799-7233, for Virginians seeking help.

Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi called the deaths devastating and said her thoughts were with the couple’s children, relatives and friends as she awaited more information from law enforcement.

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares offered condolences, particularly to the children, and encouraged anyone struggling to seek help.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, remembered Cerina Fairfax as a kind and widely loved woman. He said he was shocked by the violence and expressed sympathy for the couple’s children, family and loved ones.