WASHINGTON (WHDH) - A UMass Amherst student who was interning on Capitol Hill this summer was fatally shot in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old Granby-native, graduate of Pope Francis Preparatory School, and student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst had been working in the office of Kansas US Rep. Ron Estes.
In a statement, Estes said, “I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile.”
Tarpinian-Jachym was one of three people shot Monday night near the city’s convention center; he was taken the hospital, where he died.
Officials said he was caught in the crossfire of a dispute between two rival groups. Another woman and a 16-year-old boy were also hit by gunfire.
“He just legitimately wanted to make positive change, and that’s why he went to go intern on Capitol Hill,” said Phillip Peterson, a fellow intern and friend of Tarpinian-Jachym. “He was a good person. There should be some sort of bill or something with his name on it to memorialize him.”
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