U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro held a press conference Thursday afternoon to deliver updates on the investigation into the murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym — and she didn’t mince words.
Pirro directly called out the D.C. Council for its soft-on-crime policies, blaming the city’s leniency toward offenders for creating the conditions that led to yet another senseless killing in the nation’s capital.
Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS). He was killed in a shooting late on June 30. Two 17-year-olds were subsequently arrested in connection with the murder.
A third suspect in the shooting, 18-year-old Naqwan Lucas, has now been arrested. Lucas is accused of fatally shooting 17-year-old Zoey Kelley on July 4:
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, died after he was shot on June 30, police in Washington, D.C. said. Several days later on July 4, police said 17-year-old Zoey Kelley was killed in a fatal shooting.
One of the suspects in both shootings, 18-year-old Naqwan Lucas, has been arrested, a D.C. Courts spokesman told Fox News Digital. Lucas is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon for his arraignment.
After being named as one of three suspects in the murder of Tarpinian-Jachym, the Metropolitan Police Department announced Friday that Lucas was also charged in the murder of Kelley. He was indicted on charges of premeditated first-degree murder while armed.
Police said the first shooting, which didn’t target Tarpinian-Jachym, also left a 16-year-old male and an adult female injured. The shooting happened in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest, near the Mt. Vernon Square 7th St-Convention Center Metro stop. Officials said several people exited a car and began shooting, killing Tarpinian-Jachym.
Pirro opened her presser by noting:
“You know, every day in America, we lose innocent victims to violent crime. And like a thunderbolt, their lives are taken from them, and the lives of those who love them and cared for them are forever changed. They didn’t do anything, and they didn’t ask for it, but all of a sudden, they simply leave this world, silent victims, while the rest of us watch the fight between good and evil that unfolds on streets in the United States every day.”
She also discussed the moments that led up to Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder:
“It was a dream until he walked out onto the street at 10:28 at night and got shot by a group of punks….He got shot four times. And they were a crew. They were the Tyler House. They were masked up and they were gunned up and they were ready for a fight. Who knows about what? They were just ready for a fight. And when it was over, there were 79 rounds on the ground.”
When addressing DC’s notorious soft-on-crime policies, she shredded the DC City Council:
She said:
“We live in a district where all three of these juveniles that I’ve just mentioned are known to the juvenile court. That’s all I’m gonna say — ‘cuz I can’t say more and I want to. But I can tell you this: that two innocent souls were taken from us in what I believe were predictable homicides, based upon the behavior of these individuals and the records that everyone knew about.
But the D.C. Council is more interested in protecting young criminals under the guise of ‘protecting the innocence of youth.’ It’s time for them to start protecting the citizens of the district — because this is what we’re ending up with. (Pointing to exhibits.) We’re having victims five blocks away, 79 rounds on the ground. This is normal behavior in D.C. No more excuses from this Council.”
Obviously, Pirro is fed-up with left-wing Democrats whose policies create, and then sustain, this kind of chaos. She’s right to be. It’s just too bad there aren’t enough DC residents who are as fed-up as she is to demand better from their city council.