CROSS FIRE

Republican’s Congressional Intern Killed in D.C. Shooting

The 21-year-old victim is believed to have been an innocent bystander hit by a stray bullet.

A congressional intern working for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) has died after a shooting in Washington, D.C. Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was shot along with two other people on Monday night, all seemingly innocent bystanders caught in a hail of bullets fired by multiple people, reported The Washington Post. The Metropolitan Police Department said the shooting near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center happened just before 10:30 p.m. Tarpinian-Jachym, who was majoring in finance with a minor in political science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, was found unconscious at the scene and later pronounced dead at hospital. Two other victims, an adult female and a 16-year-old boy, were treated for non-life threatening injuries. “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” Rep. Estes said in a statement. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country.” Police are still searching for the suspects in connection to the shooting, and are offering $25,000 for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest and conviction.