2 teens charged with murdering UMass student interning in Washington, DC

Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald on Sep 5, 2025

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BOSTON — A tearful Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym said she is “shocked” at the gruesome details of her son’s murder in Washington, D.C., but grateful two suspects are now under arrest.

“We’re still processing it,” she told the Boston Herald, moments after D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the arrests.

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, a UMass Amherst college student working as an intern for Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., was shot and killed the night of June 30. He was a bystander in a D.C. gun battle.

Pirro said Friday two 17-year-olds — Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr. — are being charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed. Another suspect remains at large.

Tamara, of Granby, thanked the Herald and columnist Howie Carr for keeping the memory of her son in the news to help tell of the senseless slaying of her son, she said, while crying and needing to comfort her family. “I’m shocked,” she added over the senseless slaying of her boy.

Pirro said at the news conference Friday that the shooting — “like a thunderbolt from the sky” that has left Eric’s mom, dad, sister and brother heartbroken — involved two rifles, one 9 mm, and 79 rounds of ammunition.

Eric was hit “four times” at 10:28 p.m. that night, she added.

“His death,” Pirro said, “is a stark reminder of how fragile life is and how violence too often visits us in the nation’s capital. ... This is also why the president is bringing the force of the government” to bear in D.C.

Pirro added the “system failed” Eric.

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym traveled to D.C. to join Estes’ office in early June. Two other victims were shot at the site and survived.

President Donald Trump sent a letter to the family at the funeral, that stated, in part: “Melania and I are devastated by the senseless act of violence that took your beloved son Eric Tarpinian-Jachym from us, and we are heartbroken for your entire family. While we may never fully understand the impact that Eric has had during his meaningful life, we know he will be remembered for his kindness, faithfulness, and devotion to your family and his many friends.

“He will also be remembered for his commitment to our country,” the president added. “I know how proud Congressman Estes was to have Eric represent his office, the people of Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District, and our Nation.”

Pirro said videos in the D.C. area, interviews, and other tips resulted in the arrest in D.C. of the suspects. She was hesitant to share too much as police search for the third suspect.

She did divulge the suspects had prior violent juvenile records in family court.

Pirro did, however, slam D.C. leaders over juvenile crime at her press conference: “They don’t need to be protected; they need to be held accountable, and we need to be protected.”

The House observed a moment of silence in honor of Tarpinian-Jachym earlier this summer, and Estes praised the slain intern as a “dedicated, and thoughtful and kind person who loved our country,” Fox News reported.

“He was a kind and friendly presence in my office, greeting everyone who came through the door with a smile,” Estes said on the House floor. “The loss of Eric will be felt for a long time. We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office. Those he met in his short term in my office will never forget him either.”

Eric was a student in the nationally acclaimed Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

“He was proud to be at Isenberg,” the mom added in a long conversation with the Herald in July.

“My son was an old soul,” the mother added, “and I’m supposed to pick up all his belongings and his death certificate. I don’t know if I can even read that. This is all still really hard.”

Eric went to work in the Capitol this spring under the Fund for American Studies, or TFAS, the mother said. That is the organization that has launched a scholarship in Eric’s name.

TFAS added the Eric Tarpinian-Jachym Memorial Scholarship will “support future undergraduate students to attend TFAS programs in Washington, D.C. Through this scholarship, Eric’s legacy will continue to inspire and empower future students who seek to become honorable leaders and impact the world around them.”

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