U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed that two teenagers have been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. The 20-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student, who was interning at the office of Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), was killed on June 30 in Washington, D.C., after being struck by gunfire at the intersection of 7th and M streets NW.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith revealed that two 17-year-old suspects have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, while a third arrest is pending. Both juveniles will face adult charges. According to investigators, multiple individuals exited a vehicle and opened fire on a group of people, injuring a woman and a 16-year-old boy—both of whom survived. Authorities believe Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target.
Tarpinian-Jachym, a senior majoring in finance with a political science minor, had previously served as a fellow with the Fund for American Studies. A friend, Phillip Petersen, described him as a “good, smart Republican” and called for legislative action to address D.C. policing challenges.
Metropolitan Police Department Cmdr. Kevin Kentish identified the arrested suspects as Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jalen Lucas, both 17-year-old Washington, D.C., residents. Officers stated the shooting stemmed from an ongoing “neighborhood crew dispute,” with Thomas and Lucas targeting two individuals on a bike. One of the bike riders was injured but survived.
Smith emphasized the investigation’s complexity, citing collaboration between MPD detectives and federal agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the arrests, which occurred Friday morning. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family,” Smith said, adding that the arrests could bring “some sense of peace” to Tarpinian-Jachym’s loved ones.
