U.S. Attorney Pirro confirms two arrests linked to killing of congressional intern

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro on Friday confirmed the arrests of two teenagers in connection with the death of a congressional intern in June.

Pirro further confirmed that both face charges of first-degree murder and will face trial as adults, The Hill reported.

“Because they’re not kids; they’re criminals. They’re violent criminals. We have to hold them accountable," she said. 

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Mass., died in late June after sustaining a fatal gunshot wound during a shooting near a downtown transit station.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said that a third arrest in Tarpinian-Jachym's death is expected to be made, though authorities have not released any details on the suspect.

"These two arrests, and a third one pending – I'm confident we'll get the third one – give Eric's loved ones some sense of peace as they continue to grieve a tremendous loss," Smith said, per Fox News. "Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him interning in a role where he served the public on Capitol Hill. He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family but was senselessly taken from his loved ones."

President Donald Trump cited Tarpinian-Jachym 's death, along with the beating of former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, among the reasons for imposing a federal crackdown on the city.

Tarpinian-Jachym was in the nation's capital for a summer internship with Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kans.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.