Two 17-year-olds have been charged as adults in the killing of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, an intern for Republican Rep. Ron Estes, authorities said Friday. Jachym, 21, was fatally shot June 30 while walking through Washington, DC. The University of Massachusetts student was struck by bullets intended for someone else, according to US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro. "He was an innocent bystander who was caught in a violent act that was not meant for him," Pirro told reporters.
The suspects, Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., face first-degree murder charges. Investigators are still searching for a third suspect, 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas, ABC News reports. Pirro delivered the news alongside DC Police Chief Pamela A. Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser, framing the arrest as an example of why President Trump's push for a federal law enforcement surge in the capital is warranted, reports Politico. "His death is a stark reminder of how fragile life is and how violence too often visits us in the nation's capital," Pirro said. She said the two 17-year-olds have violent records as juveniles.
Tarpinian-Jachym was shot four times. His family and colleagues remember him as a promising young talent whose life was cut short by random violence. "Although nothing can reverse this horrific act of violence that took the life of a kind and bright young man, my hope is that today's announcement will bring peace and closure to the family and friends of Eric, and all who knew and loved him," Estes said in a statement Friday.
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