Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym shot dead in Washington DC after he was hit by stray bullet
A college student interning for a MAGA Republican has died, reportedly after he was hit by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting in downtown Washington, D.C.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts, was working with the office of Kansas Representative Ron Estes when he was gunned down near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Monday evening.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department believe the University of Massachusetts at Amherst student was an unintended victim caught in a burst of gunfire aimed at someone else.
Police said they found Tarpinian-Jachym unconscious and suffering gunshot wounds after they responded to reports of gunfire around 10:30 p.m. near 1200 7th Street.
Tarpinian-Jachym, along with an unnamed woman and a 16-year-old boy, were transported to a local hospital, where authorities said the college student succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
The two other victims received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Investigators believe multiple individuals exited a vehicle at Seventh and M Streets and opened fire on a group of people.
The shooters were still at large Thursday, with police offering up to a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Estes, who has represented Kansas’ 4th Congressional District since 2017, issued a statement Wednesday and offered his condolences to Tarpinian-Jachym’s family.
“I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” the GOP lawmaker said. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country.”
Massachusetts Representative Richard Neal also released a statement mourning the loss of “a rising senior at UMass Amherst,” adding that he was “interning on Capitol Hill, pursuing his passion for public service.”
Tarpinian-Jachym was about two months into his internship with Estes’s office when he died, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was pursuing a BBA in Finance with a minor in Political Science at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management.
Phillip Petersen, who met Tarpinian-Jachym as fellows for the Fund for American Studies in D.C, told The Post their last conversation was a “catch up” over text. He had dreamt of a career in finance, Petersen said.
Tarpinian-Jachym was in the finance society and investment club, boasting a cumulative grade point average of 3.82/4.0, according to his LinkedIn profile. At just 21, he had seemingly already amassed four years of diverse government experience.
“We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support,” a UMass Amherst spokesperson told the newspaper.