WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a college student from Massachusetts who was killed in a triple shooting in Washington, D.C., earlier this summer.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student and Granby native, was working as a congressional intern on Capitol Hill when he was gunned down in the area of the 1200 block of 7th Street in the northwest section of the city on the evening of June 30.
During a Friday news conference in the nation’s capital, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro described the young man’s “senseless” killing.
“He was hit four times. The scene involved two rifles, one 9mm, and 79 rounds on the ground,” Pirro said of Tarpinian-Jachym’s death. “He was an innocent bystander who was caught in a violent act that was not meant for him.”
Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jalen Lucas, both 17, are charged in adult court with first-degree murder while armed, according to Pirro.
“These juveniles have prior violent juvenile records in the family court,” Pirro said of Thomas Jr. and Lucas. “These are not kids, they’re criminals, they’re violent criminals.”
The Metropolitan Police Department is still working to track down a third juvenile suspect, according to Pirro.
“Eric didn’t deserve to be gunned down,“ Pirro said. ”It’s bad enough to be gunned down on any street. To be gunned down in our nation’s capital is an outrage."
A woman and a 16-year-old boy were also wounded in the shooting, but they were expected to recover.
Tarpinian-Jachym was working for Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas.
After his death, Rep. Ron Estes issued a statement that read, “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile. We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country. Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time.”
Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother remembered her son was a compassionate person.
“He was a very kind, gentle soul, and he was a very humble boy,” Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym said at the time of her son’s death.
His sister, Angela Tarpinian-Jachym, said she’s unsure if her family will ever heal from the loss of her brother.
“It’s a horrible loss, and I don’t know if we will ever recover,” she said. “We will just learn to cope and move on day by day, but the pain will always be there.”
Family members say Tarpinian-Jachym was a rising college senior who was neurodiverse. He had overcome dyslexia, a heart condition, and a recent surgery to land a coveted spring internship with the Fund for American Studies, then a congressional summer internship.
His mother says her son’s favorite pastime was fishing, especially with his dad and brother. She also said he was thrilled to be in D.C., learning about democracy and contributing to the American political experience.
“He was a remarkable young man who had really gone through a lot and was very happy in this next stage of his life, and it’s just sad that it’s been taken away from him in a violent crime,” Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother added.
President Donald Trump mentioned Eric’s case during a press conference in August as he announced his National Guard takeover of policing in Washington, D.C., to combat rising crime rates.
Trump’s federal move has been heavily criticized across the nation and in D.C. since, but Eric’s family applauded the heightened security, hoping the move prevents tragedies down the line.
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