Washington, DC: In the wake of a tragic unsolved killing, families in Washington, DC, are crying out for answers—and action. The mother of a young congressional intern fatally shot last month is speaking out, sharply criticizing the DC Council for what she calls a negligent and dismissive approach to the city’s rising tide of violent crime.
A Promising Life Cut Short
On the night of June 30, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student and congressional intern, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center Metro stop. Eric, known for his gentle demeanor and kind heart, was not the intended target; he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two others—a 16-year-old boy and an adult woman—were also injured but survived the attack.
The suspects fled, and as of this week, no arrests have been made, leaving Eric’s family with more questions than answers and a gaping wound where justice should be.
“These People Are Not Being Protected”
Tamara Jachym, Eric’s grieving mother, has become an unlikely spokesperson for a city’s frustration. She doesn’t mince words when it comes to the District’s response to violent crime.
“Your constituents are dying. They’re getting killed and maimed. … This isn’t OK. And it’s not. I’m speaking for everybody,” she declared recently. She accuses the DC Council of treating violence in the city as a “joke,” pointing to what she sees as a lack of urgency, resources, and strategy to fight this steady stream of tragedy.
“The council needs to work with the federal government and stop this stuff and stop their pettiness. Get the money to hire the cops, to pay them the overtime, to get more people on the force. This isn’t a joke anymore. People are getting killed. I don’t care what color you are. I don’t care if you have money or not,” she insisted.
Remembering Eric
Those who knew Eric describe him as an “old soul”—someone who went out of his way to make friends across generations. “He would often visit elderly people in his area, just to chat, help them, or learn from them. He liked everybody, and it didn’t matter where you came from or what your background was,” Tamara shared.
The kindness he brought to his internship in DC has not gone unnoticed. Congressman Ron Estes, for whom Eric was interning, remembered him as someone with a “kind heart” who always greeted others with a smile.
A City on Edge
Eric’s death is not an isolated case. Washington, DC has seen a worrying spike in violent crime over the past years, and many residents are now questioning whether enough is being done to keep the city safe. The challenges facing law enforcement are complex; drive-by shootings, according to former homicide detectives, are hard to solve because both the witnesses and community members are often reluctant to come forward out of fear of retaliation.
Despite occasional police recoveries of vehicles or evidence, suspects remain elusive, and arrests are rare. The District Metropolitan Police and even the FBI have now offered a substantial cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Eric’s case, but leads have been slow.
The Policy Debate—and a Mother’s Plea
At the heart of the frustration are broader debates about public safety, police staffing, and the perceived effects of recent criminal justice reforms. The DC Council has faced criticism not only from grieving families but also from national political figures who argue that recent efforts to reform sentencing and criminal penalties may have had unintended consequences, emboldening criminals and making the city less safe.
But for Tamara Jachym and countless other DC families, these debates have real—and tragic—human consequences. Her message to the DC Council, and to leaders everywhere, is simple:
“Enough is enough. Start treating public safety like the life-or-death issue it truly is. My son had a future, friends, hopes, and dreams. No family should have to go through this.”
As this grieving mother continues her fight for justice and reform, her words may well echo through a city at a crossroads, demanding an end to violence—and a beginning to healing and accountability.
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