Quick Hit:

A 21-year-old congressional intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) was fatally shot Monday night in Washington, D.C., in what authorities believe was a targeted shooting that struck the wrong person.

Key Details:

• The shooting occurred around 10:28 p.m. Monday near the 1200 block of 7th Street NW. Police arrived to find three gunshot victims: an unconscious adult male, a woman, and a 16-year-old boy.
• Authorities later confirmed the male victim was Eric Tarpinian-Jachym of Granby, Massachusetts, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and intern in Rep. Estes’ office.
• The Metropolitan Police Department said the suspects exited a vehicle and opened fire on a group of people at the intersection of 7th and M Street NW. The car used in the shooting was recovered. Tarpinian-Jachym is not believed to have been the intended target.

Diving Deeper:

A tragic shooting in the nation’s capital has claimed the life of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a summer intern working in the office of Republican Congressman Ron Estes of Kansas. According to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to gunfire in the 1200 block of 7th Street NW late Monday evening. When they arrived, they discovered three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds: an unconscious adult male, a conscious adult female, and a 16-year-old male, both of whom were still breathing.

All three victims were rushed to local hospitals. Tarpinian-Jachym, the adult male, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, despite emergency efforts to save his life.

Investigators believe Tarpinian-Jachym was an unintended victim of the shooting. According to police, multiple suspects had exited a vehicle and fired into a crowd near the intersection of 7th and M Street NW. The vehicle believed to be involved in the shooting has since been recovered, though no arrests have been announced as of Tuesday night.

In a statement, Ron Estes mourned the loss of his intern and praised the young man’s character and service. “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” Estes said. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country.”

Estes also asked that the public join him and his wife, Susan, in prayer for the Tarpinian-Jachym family and to respect their privacy as they mourn their son’s death.

Tarpinian-Jachym had been interning in the House of Representatives as part of a summer program and was slated to begin his senior year at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this fall. The shooting is under active investigation, and the MPD is urging anyone with information to come forward.