Two 17-year-old suspects, Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., have been arrested and charged as adults in the killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
The shooting took place on June 30 near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, when gunfire erupted from a vehicle. Tarpinian-Jachym, an intern for Representative Ron Estes, was hit multiple times and died the following day. Two others—a 16-year-old boy and an adult woman—were also wounded in the attack.
Investigators believe the violence was linked to a gang-related dispute and confirmed that Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target. Surveillance footage, forensic analysis, and evidence from a stolen car helped identify the suspects.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges, stressing that both Lucas and Thomas Jr. had prior juvenile records. She used the case to highlight what she described as shortcomings in the juvenile justice system, arguing for stronger measures to prosecute violent crimes committed by minors.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser both condemned the attack, vowing continued cooperation with federal authorities. Law enforcement officials are still searching for a third suspect tied to the fatal shooting.