In a senseless loss of life, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old UMass Amherst senior working as an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2025. The police think he was an unintended victim in a targeted drive-by shooting. Two other bystanders were injured.
For context, the authorities recovered the vehicle, but no arrests have been made. In response, a $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to a conviction. In a memorial statement, Rep. Estes praised Tarpinian-Jachym’s kindness, and friend Phillip Peterson mourned his loss.
Expressing sorrow at the tragedy, Rep. Ron Estes said, “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile. 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.”
Offering a personal view into Eric’s life, Phillip Peterson, a close friend, said”he was a very easy-going person to be around.”Adding more detail, he explained, “We met in early January and we really started to hit things off. After the program, we discussed becoming roommates, but I didn’t want to move back to D.C. because I despise the culture so much. Unfortunately, that fell through. I legitimately do regret now not going back to D.C. just so I could have spent more time with my friend.”
Reacting to the case on X, a prominent conservative made a memorial post on July 3, 2025. She said, “Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts. was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst majoring in finance with a minor in political science.”
Continuing her post, she added, “He was working for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas). A college student from Massachusetts working as an intern on Capitol Hill. He was fatally shot Monday night near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center downtown, and D.C. police said he was apparently an innocent bystander caught in a spray of bullets intended for someone else.💔Please pray for his family….”
In the comments under her post, conservatives responded with an outpouring of sympathy. One such comment said, “💔 Please God, share your divine strength and love with this wonderful young man’s family.” Building on this point, another said, “I am so very sorry for this loss! His parents, God bless them and surround them with protection. It is this type of terror precisely- we need to FOLLOW THE LAW AND PUNISH THOSE THAT DONT. NO MORE SUBJECTIVE PROSECUTIONS.”
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Demanding accountability, one user reacted, “Since D.C. is home to most of the Congressional/presidential activity – perhaps it’s time it be under the control of a Federal law enforcement entity. Then there would be no “Pelosi created Jan 6th political plots and Interns could walk the streets in safety.”
Frustrated with local leadership, another commenter said, “DC has to be cleaned up again, congress takes it over and cleans it up, they relinquish control back to DC voters, they elect a do-nothing, and the city turns into a ghetto again. Clean the damn city up or give it back to congress.” Agreeing, another comment stated, “Washington DC is the 4th most violent American city with a population over 500k. Given that it’s our nation’s capital that statistic is horrendous, an abject failure.”