Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old from Granby, Massachusetts, was fatally shot on the night of June 30 while in Washington, D.C., for a summer internship. He was previously stationed in the Washington D.C. office of Republican Congressman Ron Estes from Kansas. There, he established a legacy as a diligent and contemplative public servant. In this case, the shooting started in front of Mount Vernon Square. Gun violence, a stray bullet nearly killed Tarpinian-Jachym in a brutal crime that injured another woman while she was not the intended target.
Congressman Estes expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of Tarpinian-Jachym, stating, “We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office.” With this tragic loss comes an opportunity to focus on the fact that citywide gun violence has become a pandemic of its own.
The federal government responded to the incident when former President Donald Trump referenced Tarpinian-Jachym’s killing during an August 11 news conference, which announced federal intervention in the District of Columbia. This brief comment stirred up quite a bit of discussion in the national conversation around gun violence and public safety.
In relation to Tarpinian-Jachym’s death, police have charged two teenagers. Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jailen Lucas, 17, each have been charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is personally supervising the case. She has publicly shared her anger that the legal system too often fails to treat juveniles seriously in these grave issues. She stated, “Eric didn’t deserve to be gunned down and the system failed him – the system that felt that juveniles needed to be coddled.”
The third suspect wanted in connection with the shooting is still being actively sought by authorities. In spite of this, they have not shared any information about this person so far.
Pamela Smith, a family friend, shared her grief over Tarpinian-Jachym’s untimely death, noting, “Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him.” This feeling is shared with everyone who knew him, and sadly reflects the deep loss felt from his passing.
Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged the severity of gun violence in the city, stating, “Any level of gun violence in our city is unacceptable.”