“It could be your kid next,” mom warns after son is gunned down just blocks from the White House
A mother’s worst nightmare has become a national warning.
Tamara Jachym is mourning the loss of her 21-year-old son, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym — a promising congressional intern gunned down in the heart of the nation’s capital. Now, she’s sounding the alarm, urging parents everywhere to wake up to the reality of unchecked urban violence.
“This isn’t a joke. This is happening in front of the White House, and it could happen to your child,” Jachym told Fox News Digital. “And if these people aren’t caught, they’ll do it again.”
Eric, a finance major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), was shot on June 30 while standing in a group near the 1200 block of 7th Street NW. Police say several gunmen jumped out of a car and opened fire. Eric was hit — and he wasn’t even the intended target. He died the next day.
A 16-year-old boy and a woman were also injured in the shooting but survived.
No arrests. No accountability. And the body count is climbing.
Eric was the 85th homicide victim in D.C. this year. Just days later, that number rose to 86 when a three-year-old girl, Honesty Cheadle, was shot and killed over Fourth of July weekend.
“I think Eric felt safe. He was in a decent area. It was still early in the night. And this still happened,” said Jachym. “The mayor needs to get serious with this — now.”
As of mid-July, 91 people have been murdered in D.C. in 2025 — a grim number for a city that’s supposed to be the seat of American power and safety.
The FBI has now joined the hunt for Eric’s killers. Investigators are offering a $40,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Tipsters are urged to call (202) 727-9099.
Rep. Estes issued a heartfelt tribute to Eric, calling him “a kind heart” and “a cheerful presence” in the congressional office.
“We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and to the country,” Estes said. “Please join Susan and me in praying for his family.”
But for Eric’s mother, prayers aren’t enough.
“Where is the outrage from D.C.’s leaders?” she asked. “Where’s the urgency? My son’s life mattered. He wasn’t just a number.”
Eric loved Washington, she said. He walked the streets, enjoyed the Wharf, and dreamed of shaping the future. Instead, he became another casualty of a city paralyzed by crime and politics.
And his mother has a final message: “If this can happen to Eric, it can happen to anyone. Parents — don’t think for a second that your kids are safe.”
Contact authorities if you have any information. The killers are still out there.
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Don’t get your hopes up. DC is just another progressive controlled city where lawlessness and violence is the name of the game. Those causing the insanity are, in most every case, related directly or indirectly to the party in power in the mayor’s office. And they disdain any kind of law and order. They don’t want to irritate their constituents. They only want to “reeducate” the offenders, not punish them, which, if you’re totally honest with yourself, very rarely works. After a little bit of reeducation, they’re right back out on the streets causing more pain and mayhem.
Blame whoever you choose, after all it’s the current American way to BLAME SOMEONE!!! Sent from my iPhone