Two Teens Arrested in Murder of Capitol Hill Intern, Third Suspect Still at Large

Two Teens Arrested in Murder of Capitol Hill Intern, Third Suspect Still at Large

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal prosecutors and D.C. police announced Friday that two 17-year-olds have been arrested in connection with the killing of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a congressional intern fatally shot in June just a mile from the White House.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro identified the suspects as Jailen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., both charged with murder while armed, equivalent to first-degree murder under D.C. law. Although juveniles, the two will be tried as adults due to the severity of the crime.

Pirro emphasized that both suspects had prior violent records in family court and criticized what she described as a culture of leniency toward repeat juvenile offenders.

“They don’t need to be protected; they need to be held accountable, and we need to be protected,” Pirro said during a press conference. She also pushed for broader jurisdiction over cases involving juveniles as young as 14.

A third suspect remains at large, but Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith expressed confidence that another arrest will be made soon.

“These two arrests, and a third one pending, give Eric’s loved ones some sense of peace as they continue to grieve a tremendous loss,” Smith said. “Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him… He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family but was senselessly taken from his loved ones.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who joined Friday’s briefing, condemned the violence but avoided directly weighing in on Pirro’s call to expand adult jurisdiction over younger teens. She did, however, affirm that 17-year-olds charged with cold-blooded murder should face adult consequences.

Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and serving as an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) at the time of his death. His murder shocked Capitol Hill and reignited debates over youth crime and accountability in Washington, D.C.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue their search for the third suspect.