‘The brightest future:' Friends remember UMass Amherst senior killed in D.C. shooting
Police said Tarpinian-Jachym was on the street when a group of people jumped out of a car and opened fire.
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'The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest and began firing at a group,' police wrote. 'Detectives believe the decedent was not the intended target of the shooting.'
Tarpinian-Jachym, a Granby, Mass., resident, graduated from Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield and was seeking a degree in finance with a minor in political science at UMass Amherst. He began interning in the office of Rep. Ron Estes, a Kansas Republican, in June.
'I still really can't believe it, because of just how vividly I can remember him,' Burg said. 'If there was anyone that I would say had the brightest future that I've ever seen, it was that kid.'
The pair met in February at
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'We were so similar,' Burg said. 'He really cared. He always cheered you up.'
The leadership of the Fund for American Studies said in a statement they are heartbroken by Tarpinian-Jachym's death.
'The Fund for American Studies is heartbroken at the tragic and untimely death of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. Eric was one of a select group of students who participated in the Washington Fellowship held January-April 2025,' the non-profit's leadership said in a statement. 'He was a hardworking intern, a dedicated student and was well thought of by his peers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.'
Burg remembers one night in the spring after a dinner of sushi, Tarpinian-Jachym, who never runs, suggested they run home. Burg queued up the best song for the moment: the Rocky theme song, 'Gonna Fly Now' by Bill Conti.
'The best part was running up a hill with someone I've never seen run in my life, somehow outpace me, to Rocky Balboa music, and then just talk about life and family and and God,' Burg said.
Despite their short friendship, Burg knew Tarpinian-Jachym was 'special.'
'It hurts when although I didn't know him for that long, you bond that much and you spend hundreds of hours together, he was the guy I relied on,' Burg said. 'He was the guy that that I spoke to about my problems.'
Burg, who is from Florida, said he told Tarpinian-Jachym to go home to his family in Massachusets and 'enjoy' the summer, but Tarpinian-Jachym was 'dedicated.'
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'He wanted to work so hard and just get ahead in the future,' Burg said. 'It was inspiring.'
Now, Burg wishes he had gone home.
'Maybe we would have known each other and our kids for the next 60 or 50 years,' Burg said.
The pair had planned for Tarpinian-Jachym to visit Burg in Florida after his internship.
Lily Myers, 21, was also in the fellowship program with Burg and Tarpinian-Jachym, and said Tarpinian-Jachym was 'charismatic.'
'Eric was just one of the people that stood out in our program,' she said. 'He got along with everybody. He was always really fun to be around.'
Myers also is working in D.C. as an intern at the National Retail Federation, and she said she knew 'how much [Tarpinian-Jachym] wanted to come back and intern in DC this summer.'
'For that to have happened while he was one month into a congressional internship is just horrific,' Myers said. 'Eric was very smart and had a bright future ahead of him, and we expected that to happen.'
Myers found out about the violence while leaving her internship, not far from where the shooting happened. She said she's 'shaken up' because the metro stop is on her line, and she briefly considered returning home to North Carolina.
'I tried not to let this horrible incident deter me... but it definitely made me rethink where I go in the city,' Myers said.
A vehicle police believe was used in the shooting was recovered, officials said. No arrests have been made, but police have offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of Tarpinian-Jachym's killer or killers.
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Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith
'It's such a tragic loss of a young man who's in our city conducting, being a part of something that I think is profound for most young people. Interning at a U.S. House of Representatives office is a big deal,' she told the station. 'We want people to put the guns down. Innocent bystander, a young lady who was also shot in addition to Eric,. Unacceptable in all ways, shape, forms of fashion.'
In
'We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country,' Estes said. 'Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time.'
A spokesperson for UMass Amherst said university officials were aware of 'a student's death in Washington, D.C. and is in communication with the student's family.'
They did not identify Tarpinian-Jachym.
'We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support,' the school said.
Representative Richard E. Neal, whose Western Massachusetts district includes Granby, said he was 'heartbroken' by Tarpinian-Jachym's death.
As an intern on Capitol Hill, he was 'pursuing his passion for public service,' Neal said in a statement.
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Tarpinian-Jachym's family could not be reached Thursday.
Burg, the friend from the fellowship, said Tarpinian-Jachym 'knew what he wanted with his career.'
He wanted to work on Capitol Hill, Burg said, and that was exactly what he was doing.
'He would be saying to live your life to the fullest, and do everything,' Burg said.
Information from earlier Globe reporting was used in this posting.
John R. Ellement of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Ava Berger can be reached at
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