FROM AP NEWS: Two teenagers were arrested Friday on murder charges in the killing of a congressional intern who was struck by stray bullets during a shooting in the nation’s capital — a crime that President Donald Trump cited in announcing a law-enforcement surge in Washington.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts, was fatally shot on the night of June 30 near Washington’s Mount Vernon Square. Both suspects in his killing — Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jailen Lucas —are 17-year-old juveniles but are charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Police were searching for a third suspect whose name and age weren’t immediately released.
Suspects Kelvin Thomas Jr., of Southeast D.C., and Jailen Lucas, of Northwest D.C., are pictured in mugshots obtained by FOX5 DC.
DC police released mugshots of the two 17-year-old suspects in the murder of Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
Both have been charged as adults with premeditated first-degree murder while armed. pic.twitter.com/9pwme4eiGE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 8, 2025
Police are also searching for Naqwan Antonio Lucas, 18, of Granby, Massachusetts, who is wanted on a D.C. Superior Court warrant for premeditated first-degree murder while armed, Fox News reports.
During the crime, the suspects allegedly exited a vehicle at an intersection and shot at two people riding bikes. One was a 16-year-old male who was wounded, and a woman who wasn’t a target was also wounded, according to Metropolitan Police Department Commander Kevin Kentish.
Tarpinian-Jachym, who was also not a target, was shot four times.
Investigators were able to identify the three suspects with surveillance video, Kentish said. Both suspects were district residents.
Pirro called Tarpinian-Jachym an “innocent bystander” during a news conference.
“Eric didn’t deserve to be gunned down, and the system failed him — the system that felt that juveniles needed to be coddled,” Pirro said. “This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they’re not kids. They’re criminals.”
She said the DC council wasn’t doing enough to hold juveniles accountable for their criminal acts.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined Pirro at the news conference, commenting, “Any level of gun violence in our city is unacceptable.”
Trump alluded to Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder during an Aug. 11 news conference as he announced a federal intervention for a “public safety emergency” in the District of Columbia.
Tarpinian-Jachym, a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was in the city working as a summer intern for Kansas Rep. Ron Estes’(R) office. Estes made a statement about the intern in July in remarks delivered on the House floor.
Estes said:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the life of Eric Jachym of Granby, Massachusetts, who was an intern in my office.
Eric’s life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence in our nation’s capital. Eric was an innocent bystander who was gunned down as he walked down the street less than one mile from the White House.
I want to offer my prayers and condolences to Eric’s family, friends and loved ones.
Eric was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who came to Washington to participate in our government.
He was a kind and friendly presence in my office, greeting everyone who came through the door with a smile.
The loss of Eric will be felt for a long time. We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office. Those he met in his short term in my office will never forget him either.
Eric Jachym was a dedicated, and thoughtful and kind person who loved our country, and he gave his life in the service of others. I thank him for his service and for the impact he made on our lives.
May he rest in peace.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House observe a moment of silence to remember Eric Jachym.
Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back.
After Estes honored Tarpinian-Jachym, there was a moment of silence.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the arrests of the two suspects are “a testament to President Trump’s efforts to make Washington, D.C., safe again.”
“The Department of Justice will continue our work to prevent other young people from suffering the same fate as Eric,” Bondi said in a statement. “We hope this brings some measure of solace to his family.”
MPD Chief Pamela Smith said she and Pirro talked to Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother on Friday.
“Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him,” Smith said. “He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family, but was senselessly taken from his loved ones.”
BREAKING: A top investigator in Washington D.C. describes the case against 2 teens accused of murdering a UMass student who was interning on Capitol Hill this summer. A third suspect is being sought. https://t.co/aIC5LmD0p1 pic.twitter.com/Fr2VHbKDip
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) September 5, 2025
🚨UPDATE: Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and a third arrest is pending.
Both teens will be charged as adults with murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. pic.twitter.com/JSY2fJQcSJ
— Outnumbered (@OutnumberedFNC) September 5, 2025
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