The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged two teenagers with first-degree murder for the killing of a congressional intern. 

The New York Post reports that the department is also seeking another suspect in the matter.

The charges have been brought by Jeanine Pirro, President Donald Trump's U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.

Today, my office announced the arrests in the killing of Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. These arrests give Eric’s loved ones some sense of peace as they continue to grieve a tremendous loss. pic.twitter.com/rU0MMqkBVA

— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) September 5, 2025

The latest

The DOJ published a press release on the matter on Friday.

It, in part, reads:

Jailen Lucas, 17, and Kelvin Thomas, Jr., 17, both of Washington, D.C., were arrested today by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals on charges of first-degree murder while armed, for the death of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, an intern with the U.S. House of Representatives, on June 30, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

The press release goes on to recall the circumstances of the murder.

It reads:

 The three armed suspects immediately exited an abruptly stopped stolen vehicle and began firing north on 7^th Street NW at two young men who jumped from a bicycle.  Investigators suspect that they were firing at these young men believing that they were from an opposition neighborhood. Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts, was shot and killed. He was not an intended target, according to investigators.

Nonetheless, the teenagers are now facing murder charges.

"Could have been prevented"

Pirro, the former Fox News host, released her own statement on the matter, expressing her opinion that the murder was preventable.

"Eric Tarpinian, a senior at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst was interning in our nation’s capital, pursuing his passion for public service when he was fatally gunned down. . .an innocent bystander caught in a violent act not meant for him," she said.

Pirro added, "He was shot four times and he leaves behind a grieving mother Tamara, father Robert, a brother Jeremy and sister Angela. This is why from day one I advocated for criminal jurisdiction over younger individuals with family court records. Eric’s murder could have been prevented if we had captured these two, who have a documented history of family court violence."

Both Pirro and Trump are looking to clean up crime in the nation's capital.

They have already seen significant progress.