Two 17‑year‑olds, Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jailen Lucas, have been arrested and charged as adults with first‑degree murder in the slaying of 21‑year‑old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian‑Jachym. The killing took place on June 30, 2025, near the Washington Convention Center in D.C. during a drive‑by shooting in which 79 rounds were fired from a vehicle. Investigators say Tarpinian‑Jachym was struck by stray bullets and died the next day. Two other victims—16‑year‑old boy and an adult woman—were wounded but survived.

Authorities believe Tarpinian‑Jachym was not the intended target of the attack. Surveillance footage, ballistics, and tracking of a stolen vehicle used in the shooting played key roles in identifying and arresting the suspects. A third suspect, Naqwan Lucas, aged 18, remains at large.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. confirmed that the teenagers will face trial in adult court; under D.C. law, the death penalty is not permissible.

The intern, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, had been working in the office of Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas). His death sparked widespread mourning, calls for justice, and renewed debate over youth violence and juvenile justice reform. A reward of $40,000 has been offered for information leading to convictions, up from an original $25,000.