A tragic urban shooting claimed the life of a Republican congressman’s aide this week.
Police responded to the 1200 block of 7th Street Northwest around 10:28 p.m. Monday, where they found the body of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student interning in the office of Kansas Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS).
An adult woman and a 16-year-old boy were also shot during the incident and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a car stopped near the scene, and its occupants exited before opening fire on a group of bystanders. Authorities believe that Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target of the attackers.
Tarpinian-Jachym was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, expected to graduate with the class of 2026. He was majoring in finance and minoring in political science.
“I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” Estes said in a statement with his wife, Susan. “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.”
Phillip Peterson, a friend of Tarpinian-Jachym, told Fox News he “was a very easy-going person to be around.” Peterson said: “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. Unfortunatel,y 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.”
In addition to his internship with Rep. Estes, Tarpinian-Jachym was a participant in the Fund for American Studies fellowship program, which confirmed his hometown as Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Chris Ryan, a representative with the Massachusetts Republican Party, said in a statement, “The loss of DC Congressional student intern and Granby resident Eric Tarpinian-Jachym is a loss for Massachusetts and our nation. His family is now without its son, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be missing a promising young graduate from its Class of 2026.”
He went on to say that “The Massachusetts Republican Party extends its deepest sorrows to his family and the office of Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), all of whom are mourning the passing of this bright and talented young man.”