WASHINGTON, D.C. — A college student from Massachusetts who was working as an intern on Capitol Hill is being remembered as a “bright and talented young man” with a “kind heart” after he was killed in a triple shooting in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a University of Massachusetts Amherst student and Granby native, was shot to death in the area of the 1200 block of 7th Street around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, according to officials.
A woman and a 16-year-old boy walking with Tarpinian-Jachym were also injured in the shooting, but are expected to recover.
The Metropolitan Police Department said multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, not far from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and began firing at the trio.
The vehicle has since been recovered, but no arrests have been made. Investigators don’t believe Tarpinian-Jachym was the intended target of the shooting.
Tarpinian-Jachym was working for Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas.
“I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” Estes said in a statement on Tuesday. “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.”
State Committeeman Chris Ryan, of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Tarpinian-Jachym was a member of the UMass Amherst Class of 2026.
“The loss of DC Congressional student intern and Granby resident Eric Tarpinian-Jachym is a loss for Massachusetts and our nation. His family is now without its son, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be missing a promising young graduate,” Ryan said in a statement. “The Massachusetts Republican Party extends its deepest sorrows to his family and the office of Rep. Ron Estes, all of whom are mourning the passing of this bright and talented young man.”
In a statement, UMass Amherst said, “The university has learned of a student’s death in Washington, D.C. and is in communication with the student’s family. We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support.”
The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction in Tarpinian-Jachym’s death.
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