Pirro Shares Chilling News After Congressional Intern Killed in DC
Washington, D.C. is reeling after two teenage suspects were charged with first-degree murder in the killing of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, whose life was cut short in the crossfire of a brutal drive-by shooting near the White House.
Prosecutors say Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., both 17, unleashed a barrage of 79 rounds on June 30 using rifles and a 9mm handgun, spraying bullets at a neighborhood group but instead striking innocent bystanders. Eric, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst senior interning for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), died the next day.
The brazen daylight ambush — just a mile from the White House and blocks from the Washington Convention Center — underscores how dangerous the nation’s capital has become under failed Democrat leadership.
Pirro: No More Coddling Juvenile Killers
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro vowed the killers will be tried as adults, blasting D.C.’s soft-on-crime system for coddling violent teens.
“Eric didn’t deserve to be gunned down,” Pirro said. “Young punks on the street with guns are not victims — they are predators. It’s time we treat them like adults and put them behind bars before more innocent lives are lost.”
Pirro, who has pushed for tougher laws, argued that rehabilitative family court is failing. Instead, she urged Congress to expand federal authority so that dangerous teens can be prosecuted like the hardened criminals they are.
Bowser Forced to Side With Trump DOJ
Even Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser was forced to agree with Pirro’s approach, saying that “cold-blooded murder” qualifies for adult prosecution. Her rare alignment with the Trump administration underscores the political pressure mounting in crime-ravaged blue cities.
President Donald Trump has already authorized aggressive federal intervention in D.C., leading to the seizure of nearly 200 illegal firearms since Eric’s murder. The move signals Trump’s no-nonsense approach to restoring law and order in the capital — a stark contrast to Joe Biden’s empty platitudes during his failed presidency.
A Tragic Reminder
For Eric’s family and colleagues on Capitol Hill, the tragedy is both personal and political. A young life filled with promise was extinguished because violent teens with illegal guns were allowed to roam free.
The case now stands as a turning point in the fight over juvenile justice reform. Will America continue to excuse violent teens as “misguided youth,” or will the system finally recognize that if you’re old enough to pull the trigger, you’re old enough to face adult punishment?