Suspect Linked to Two Fatal Shootings in D.C.
Police reports indicate that one of the individuals accused of murdering a Congressional intern in Washington, D.C., may have been involved in another shooting that occurred just days later.
Eric Tarpinian Jahim, a 21-year-old intern for Republican U.S. Representative Ron Estes, was shot on June 30. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries the following day at the hospital.
The shooting took place in the 1200 block of Seventh Avenue NW, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. On July 4, it was revealed that 17-year-old Zoe Kelly had also been killed in a separate shooting incident.
Naquan Lucas, identified as a suspect in Tarpinian-Jahim’s murder, has now also been charged in connection with Kelly’s death. He faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder while armed.
Officers responded to a call about a disturbance in a D.C. residence, where they found Kelly unconscious from a gunshot wound. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of now, Lucas remains at large and has not been taken into custody.
Earlier in September, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that two other individuals, Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., were arrested concerning Tarpinian-Jahim’s murder. Pirro noted that both suspects have a violent history, especially in family court, as they are juveniles.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pamela Smith expressed confidence that Lucas would soon be apprehended. During a September press conference, she stated, “While these two arrests and a third are pending, we have offered some relief to Eric’s grieving family. He arrived in our city with a bright future and deserved to return home safely. His loss is incomprehensible.”
In a related incident, a woman and a 16-year-old boy were also shot during the events surrounding Tarpinian-Jahim’s murder but fortunately survived.
Tarpinian-Jahim’s mother, Tamara Jahim, expressed her concerns in a prior interview, urging the police to arrest those responsible. She noted, “They will do it again. Eric thought he was safe. It was a nice evening, and this happened. It’s tragic, and he was the 85th victim… now we’re at 86,” referring to the rising homicide count in Washington, D.C. at the time.
