An intern for Republican Kansas Rep. Ron Estes was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., Monday night, his congressional office announced.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as a rising senior and was majoring in finance with a minor in political science, according to a press release from Estes’ office. He was working as a legislative intern this summer and had worked as a fellow at Advanced Advocacy earlier this year, his LinkedIn page read.
Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was shot alongside two others when suspects emerged from a vehicle and allegedly shot at a collection of people near Mount Vernon Square Metro Station, prompting someone to return fire, according to NBC4 Washington. The intern was not the target of the shooting, police said. (RELATED: Washington D.C. Proposal To Combat Violent Crime Surge Won’t Go Nearly Far Enough, Critics Say)
Estes issued a statement. “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” he said. “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.”
Rep. Ron Estes (R-OK) departs a House Republican Conference meeting on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith told NBC4 that authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. “It’s such a tragic loss of a young man who’s in our city conducting, being a part of something that I think is profound for most young people,” she said.
Law enforcement recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the shooting and were actively looking for suspects as of Wednesday, according to the outlet.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns over crime in Washington, D.C. Merely 1.7 percent of individuals apprehended for carrying an unlicensed pistol received prison sentences between 2018 and 2022, according to D.C. Sentencing Commission data obtained by the Heritage Foundation. Authorities recovered 2,895 firearms in the district in 2024, according to the MPD.
Congress has plenary legislative authority over Washington, D.C., under the Constitution, meaning it can exercise direct legislative authority over the district. However, it has delegated power to local authorities.
