In a sharply worded press appearance, Pirro blasted the D.C. City Council for what she called “reckless, soft-on-crime policies” that allegedly fuel violent crime in the District. She framed recent tragedies—including the killing of 21-year-old intern Eric Tarpinian‑Jachym on June 30—as illustrative of a system in crisis. According to her comments, three suspects—including 18-year-old Naqwan Lucas, also linked to another July 4 murder—have been charged in that intern’s case.

Pirro accused local reforms of turning Washington into a “revolving door” for violent offenders. She singled out leniency toward juveniles and early-release mechanisms, arguing they embolden criminals. “When you let violent offenders roam free, you’re telling criminals that D.C. is open for business,” she said. She suggested her office may increasingly bypass the local system through federal charges, describing the local system as “broken.” The District has already recorded more than 170 homicides in 2025, raising fears it could be the deadliest year in decades. Local defenders of reform—among them Council Chair Phil Mendelson—reject Pirro’s narrative, calling her comments “deeply irresponsible” and a politicization of tragedy.

In the wake of Tarpinian-Jachym’s death—his colleagues described him as a “bright, compassionate” young man—Pirro invoked his case and that of 17-year-old Zoey Kelley to argue that the reform agenda has failed to protect vulnerable victims. She concluded by announcing a new federal-local task-force aimed at youth gun violence. “If the D.C. Council doesn’t want to do its job, fine,” she declared. “But I’ll do mine—every single day until this city remembers that crime has consequences”.