Two Suspects Charged in Capitol Hill Intern Murder, Third at Large

Two 17-year-old suspects, Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jailen Lucas, have been arrested and charged as adults in the murder of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student and Capitol Hill intern for Republican Rep. Ron Estes. Tarpinian-Jachym was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting near the White House on June 30, believed to be an unintended victim in a gang-related dispute; a 16-year-old boy and a woman were also injured in the incident. Authorities are still searching for a third suspect, 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas, who faces first-degree murder charges, with a total reward of $50,000 offered for information leading to his conviction. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro emphasized that the suspects have violent criminal histories and underscored the need to prosecute them in adult court. The case has drawn national attention, with President Trump deploying National Guard troops to combat rising violent crime in D.C., and officials pledging severe justice for the perpetrators. Friends and family remember Tarpinian-Jachym as an innocent bystander whose death highlights the urgent public safety challenges in the nation's capital.