WESTERLY, RI — A Granby, Mass. family is still enduring an unimaginable loss more than a month after their son and brother was shot and killed on the streets in Washington DC.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was gunned down in a triple shooting in late June. Police say the Capitol Hill intern for Kansas Rep. Ron Estes was not the intended target of the shooters.
His mother, Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym, is still grieving his loss in Westerly, Rhode Island.
“Our lives are forever changed,” she told Boston 25 on Tuesday. “I actually can feel the broken heart.”
Her daughter and Eric’s older sister Angela sat next to her, and added, “I lost my little brother – my baby brother… We didn’t get to say goodbye. We didn’t get to have a last conversation. We didn’t get to say I love you. It was just over.”
The family is in contact with authorities in Washington DC who are still investigating their son’s death.
Meanwhile, Tamara said she has also been in touch with other interns like Eric in Washington DC.
She explained, “They’re nervous, they’re scared, and after eric got killed, they said, ‘Yes, it’s unsafe down here.’”
Nationally, President Donald Trump mentioned Eric’s case during a press conference Monday as he announced his takeover of policing in the city.
Tamara added, “Safety is the priority… He still mattered, and that’s how I feel -- that he mattered.”
His family remembered the UMass-Amherst student as a loving young man with a passion for the environment.
Trump’s federal move has been heavily criticized across the nation and in Washington DC since Monday.
Eric’s family applauded the heightened security – hoping this prevents tragedies down the line.
Tamara finished, “One day, maybe it could be them or a family member walking down the street going to McDonald’s like my son.”
Eric’s family said no arrest has been made in their son’s case.
Boston 25 has reached out to Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police, who responded, “There are no updates at this time, the investigation remains ongoing. We understand the immense interest in this case, and we will update the community when we have new developments. Thank you for your patience.”
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