A 21-year-old congressional intern was fatally shot on Monday evening in Northwest Washington, D.C., after being caught in a hail of targeted gunfire, according to police officials.
The victim has been identified as Eric Tarpinian-Jachym from Granby, Massachusetts. He succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday following the shooting, which took place near the intersection of 7th and M Street.
Authorities have recovered the vehicle linked to the shooting and noted that while the attack was directed at a specific group, Tarpinian-Jachym was not one of the intended targets.
Tarpinian-Jachym had been interning for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) since June and was a rising senior studying finance and political science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
The incident occurred around 10:28 p.m. when several suspects exited a vehicle and opened fire on a group. In addition to Tarpinian-Jachym, an adult female and a 16-year-old male were also shot. While the latter two victims were conscious upon the police’s arrival, Tarpinian-Jachym was found unresponsive. All three were taken to local hospitals, where Tarpinian-Jachym later passed away.
Rep. Estes and his wife, Susan, shared their condolences with Tarpinian-Jachym’s family, stating, “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile. We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country.”
Estes has represented Kansas’ 4th Congressional District since 2017 and serves on several congressional committees including the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Budget Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee, where he chairs the Social Security Subcommittee.
The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to the police at (202) 727-9099 or send tips via text to 50411.
