Kansas Rep. Ron Estes mourns intern killed in Washington shooting

WASHINGTON — Kansas Rep. Ron Estes is mourning the loss of a congressional intern who was fatally shot Monday night in Washington, D.C., after getting caught in gunfire apparently intended for others.

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts, died Tuesday from injuries sustained in the shooting near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The University of Massachusetts student had been working since June as an intern for Estes, a Republican representing Kansas' 4th District.

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Estes said in a statement. "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country. Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time."
Tarpinian-Jachym was a rising senior at UMass Amherst majoring in finance with a minor in political science. He was a graduate of Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield and had previously participated in a fellowship with The Fund for American Studies.

Police responded around 10:28 p.m. Monday to gunshots in the 1200 block of Seventh Street Northwest, where they found Tarpinian-Jachym unconscious and two others wounded. A woman remained hospitalized in stable condition and a 16-year-old boy was recovering from a spinal wound.

Police Chief Pamela Smith said Tarpinian-Jachym and the woman were innocent bystanders, while the wounded teenager "was kind of engaged as part of the group" that was attacked. Investigators said multiple suspects exited a vehicle at Seventh and M streets and began firing at a group of people.

The shooting was among several cases in recent years in which Capitol Hill staff members have been victims of violent crimes, including an armed carjacking and a stabbing. Those incidents have prompted congressional Republicans to call for tougher crime-prevention efforts in the city.

A White House spokesman told Fox News that the Trump administration will ensure justice for Tarpinian-Jachym, saying President Trump "is empowering his Justice Department, federal, state, and local law enforcement, and prosecutors to hold violent criminals accountable and deliver justice to grieving families."
The death marked the 85th homicide in the District this year, slightly fewer than the 89 recorded at this time last year.

Police recovered the suspect vehicle and are working with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the investigation. The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to arrests and convictions.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 202-727-9099 or text tips to 50411.