A University of Massachusetts student who was interning in Congress was killed in a shooting in Washington, D.C., this week.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts, was one of three people who were wounded in a shooting near the convention center around 10:30 p.m. Monday. All three were rushed to hospitals. Tarpinian-Jachym died the next day.
Metropolitan Police said “multiple suspects” got out of a car at the intersection of 7th and M Street and “began firing at a group.” There have been no arrests, but investigators said they found the car.
“Not the intended target”
“Detectives believe the decedent was not the intended target of the shooting,” police said in a statement.
Tarpinian-Jachym was a rising senior at UMass. He was spending the summer in Washington as a congressional intern, working for Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Kansas.
“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. “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.”
The Massachusetts Republican Party said Tarpinian-Jachym’s death 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,” the party said in a statement. “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.”
“Eric was, by all accounts, enjoying his internship and enjoying learning about public service,” said Amy Carnevale, the head of the Massachusetts Republican Party. “He really had a bright future ahead of him.” She said Tarpinian-Jachym’s parents have traveling to D.C. to identify his body and meet with Estes.
Tarpinian-Jachym was majoring in finance with a minor in political science, according to Estes.
“He was just so hungry to be the best person he could and reach his potential,” said Clark Burg, a friend of Tarpinian-Jachym’s from Fund for American Studies, a D.C. fellowship for student leaders. “There’s never been quite a guy that I guess I’ve bonded with so easily or met that’s as good as him. He lights up the room wherever he goes, he was such a funny guy, he always had something to say to make you feel better.”
“A terrible tragedy”
A UMass spokesperson said the school is “in communication with the student’s family.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support,” said Emily Gest, an Associate Vice Chancellor for News and Media Relations.
Granby is about a half-hour north of Springfield, Massachusetts. Residents who spoke with WBZ-TV said they were devastated to hear of Tarpinian-Jachym’s death.
“It’s a terrible tragedy when anybody loses a life but when a young person just getting started with their life, it’s very disheartening,” said Granby resident Marilyn Iacconne.
“It’s just devastating to hear that no one cares about life in general anymore, it just seems like it’s tragic all around the whole world,” said Granby resident Angela Hodgkins.
