The fatal shooting of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym in Washington, D.C., has led to the arrest and charging of two 17-year-olds as adults — and renewed outrage over the city’s weak juvenile justice laws.
Tarpinian-Jachym, a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), was gunned down on June 30 in Northwest DC. According to prosecutors, the ambush involved two rifles and a 9mm handgun. A total of 79 rounds were fired, hitting the intern four times and injuring a woman and a 16-year-old boy.
Jaylen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., both 17, were arrested and charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed. A third suspect remains at large. Both defendants reportedly had prior violent offenses on their records — something U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro says should have kept them behind bars.
“This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they’re not kids — they’re criminals,” Pirro stated. She called the murder a “stark reminder of how fragile life is,” and slammed the legal barriers that prevent serious consequences for violent juvenile offenders.
The Biden-era crime crisis in D.C. has spiraled out of control, prompting the Trump administration to intervene directly. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the arrests, writing on X: “We are delivering on President Trump’s promise to make D.C. safe again.” Patel credited the DOJ and the FBI’s Washington Field Office for leading the investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also praised law enforcement and promised justice: “If convicted, the suspects will face severe justice.” Trump has since placed the D.C. Metropolitan Police under federal oversight and activated the National Guard in response to violent crime surges.
Tarpinian-Jachym’s death has become a flashpoint in the debate over juvenile justice and crime in Democrat-run cities. His mother, Tamara Jachym, criticized the D.C. Council’s lax approach, telling Fox News the Trump administration has taken her son’s death “more seriously” than local officials. Former President Trump even sent a personal letter of condolence to the family.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Estes honored his intern, saying Eric would be remembered for his “kind heart” and “cheerful smile.”
The brutal killing of a young conservative intern by known repeat offenders underscores the failure of soft-on-crime policies in blue cities like D.C. — and why real leadership is required to restore law and order.