Eric Tarpinian-Jachym has been identified as the 21-year-old congressional intern shot and killed in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, July 1, per police.
The Metropolitan Police Department and congressional officials identified Tarpinian-Jachym as the victim.
Tarpinian-Jachym was a senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he majored in finance and minored in political science, per ABC News. The Granby, Mass., native interned for U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas.
PEOPLE has reached out to the MPD for further comment.
Tarpinian-Jachym was fatally shot near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown D.C. at approximately 10:28 p.m. on Tuesday, police said. He was caught in a spray of bullets allegedly targeted toward someone else, The Washington Post reports. He was brought to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Two other victims were struck: an adult female and a 16-year-old male, per ABC News. The two individuals were conscious when police arrived, while Tarpinian-Jachym was unconscious.
“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 on Wednesday, July 2. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country.”
“I was heartbroken to hear of the tragic shooting that took the life of Granby-native Eric Tarpinian-Jachym,” Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts said in a statement, per WWLP. “A rising senior at UMass Amherst, Eric was in D.C. interning on Capitol Hill, pursuing his passion for public service. As a lecturer at UMass, I know firsthand the caliber of students who walk through those doors. Eric embodied what it means to be part of a community committed to learning, growth, and civic engagement.”
“Any parent will tell you there is no greater pain than the pain of losing as a child,” Neal continued. “As a father, my thoughts and prayers are with Eric’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The MPD is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anyone with information is urged to contact police at (202) 727-9099 or text tips to 50411.
