Thanks to DNA evidence, two young hooligans have been linked to the murder of D.C. intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
Tarpinian-Jachym, formerly a 21-year-old intern for Republican Rep. Ron Estes, was murdered last summer in D.C. during a targeted, gang-related hit gone horribly wrong, as previously reported.
He was out on the streets of D.C. at 10:28 pm when “multiple suspects emerged from a vehicle and opened fire on a group of people” in a targeted hit, ABC News reported at the time.
Three victims were hit by stray bullets from the targeted hit, including Tarpinian-Jachym, an adult female, and a 16-year-old boy.
“While the other two victims were conscious when police arrived, Tarpinian-Jachym was found unconscious,” ABC News noted. “All three were transported to local hospitals, where Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries.”
21-year-old intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) was sh*t and k*lled Monday night in DC near the US Capitol.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was the victim of what authorities believe to be a targeted attack.
Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target but an innocent bystander.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/XwRPs2LpY7
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 3, 2025
According to Fox News, two suspects have since been identified thanks to DNA evidence.
“Government attorneys told Washington, DC, Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson during a Friday status hearing that testing on shell casings recovered at the scene produced an ‘overwhelming statistical match'” to 17-year-old suspects Jailen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas,” Fox News reported.
Both have since been charged as adults with first-degree murder.
A third suspect, 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas, has also been linked to the murder, though apparently not by DNA evidence.
Local station WUSA previously confirmed that the targeted shooting gone wrong was the result of an “ongoing dispute between two rival groups,” likely gangs.
Besides being an intern for Estes, Tarpinian-Jachym had also been a University of Massachusetts at Amherst “rising star,” majoring in finance with a minor in political science.
“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 Wednesday. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country.”
A number of other Republicans also paid tribute to Tarpinian-Jachym, including Rep. Nancy Mace and Sen. Mike Lee:
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym came to Washington like so many young people who walk these halls each summer, believing in something bigger than themselves and ready to serve.
His life was just beginning.
Our hearts go out to his family, his loved ones, and the entire team in Rep.… https://t.co/4aZR9iPESz
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) July 3, 2025
Absolutely heartbreaking.
The interns on Capitol Hill are some of the most incredible young people you could ever hope to meet, and they are invaluable in our offices.
Please join me in praying for this young man’s family and the Estes office. https://t.co/bKq7kSCxOW
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 2, 2025
One of Tarpinian-Jachym’s friends, Phillip Peterson, told WUSA that he’d “just legitimately wanted to make positive change, and that’s why he went to go intern on Capitol Hill.”
“Eric Jachym was one of the few good, kind-hearted, honest, moral, trustworthy people in Washington D.C., and he’s excited to make a difference,” he added.
The two reportedly met during a fellowship at the Fund for American Studies.
Peterson went on to say how shocked and angry he was by the shooting and murder, and that he hoped his friend would be memorialized somehow.
“Washington D.C., the shining city on the hill, the place that is where all the laws for the most powerful country in the world that has set forth the path forward that many countries have taken and become great through, has really become a failure,” he bluntly noted.
“He was a good person. There should be some sort of bill or something with his name on it to memorialize him,” Peterson added.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts. was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst majoring in finance with a minor in political science.
He was working for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas).A college student from Massachusetts working as an intern… pic.twitter.com/FsL3KDqEcI
— Denise (@Likeshesays) July 3, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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