Nearly two months after congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was killed by stray bullets in Washington, D.C., a pair of teenagers have been charged with his murder, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
The suspects were identified as Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
Both face charges of first-degree murder while armed and even though they are juveniles, they will be prosecuted as adults, Pirro said. Investigators are still searching for a third suspect, who is also a juvenile.
Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was just two months into his internship with Kansas Representative Ron Estes when he was caught in a spray of bullets on June 30 near Mount Vernon Square.
“He was an innocent bystander who was caught in a violent act that was not meant for him,” Pirro said. “His death is a stark reminder of how fragile life is and how violence too often visits us in the nation’s capital.”
Investigators tied the suspects to the crime by reviewing surveillance video from the area and conducting multiple interviews. Both were arrested in the District, officials said.
According to Metropolitan Police Department Commander Kevin Kentish, the suspects exited a vehicle and opened fire on two people riding bicycles, including a 16-year-old boy who was wounded. Tarpinian-Jachym, who was not a target, was shot four times. Another bystander was also wounded but survived.
Pirro said both suspects had prior violent records in juvenile court.
“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 used the announcement Friday to sharply criticize the D.C. Council, accusing it of limiting her office’s ability to hold young offenders accountable.
“The D.C. Council has coddled young criminals for years,” she said. “They reject mandatory minimums that the law requires. They don’t force judges to follow the law.”
Rep. Estes, who has represented Kansas’ 4th Congressional District since 2017, issued a statement earlier this summer, praising Tarpinian-Jachym as “a dedicated, and thoughtful and kind person who loved our country.” The House of Representatives also held a moment of silence in his memory.
“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.”
Trump mentioned Tarpinian-Jachym’s killing — but not his name — during an August 11 news conference where he announced a federal intervention for a “public safety emergency” in the District of Columbia.
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Tarpinian-Jachym was pursuing a degree in finance with a minor in political science at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, where he maintained a 3.82 GPA. He was active in the finance society and investment club and had already built years of government experience, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him,” MPD Chief Pamela Smith said.
“He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family, but was senselessly taken from his loved ones.”
