Marina
An 18-year-old named Naqwan Antonio Lucas has been indicted on charges including first-degree murder and 15 additional counts in connection with the death of Eric Tarpinian‑Jachym, a 21-year-old congressional intern from Granby, Massachusetts. On Thursday, Lucas entered a plea of not guilty.
Incident Details
Tarpinian-Jachym died the day after he was struck by stray bullets on the night of June 30 near Mount Vernon Square in Washington, D.C. Investigators confirmed that he was not the intended target of the gunfire, but an “innocent bystander”, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Co-Defendants & Related Case
Earlier, two 17-year-olds, Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Jailen Lucas, were arrested and charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed. Prosecutors stated that Naqwan Lucas and Jailen Lucas are brothers.
Authorities say the three suspects exited a stolen vehicle, opened fire at two young men, and Tarpinian-Jachym was hit four times. Five other individuals were also assaulted or wounded in the incident.
Additional Indictment for Lucas
Separately, Lucas faces another indictment for allegedly killing 17-year-old Zoey Kelly on July 4. Prosecutors reported Kelly was discovered dead from a head gunshot wound within a bedroom closet, wrapped in bedding inside a storage container.
Lucas similarly pleaded not guilty in that case. At present, online court documents do not show who his defense attorneys are.
Evidence and Federal Response
Police say surveillance footage aided in identifying the three suspects.
The killing of Tarpinian-Jachym was cited by then-President Donald Trump during a press conference on August 11, where he announced a federal law-enforcement surge in Washington to address a “public-safety emergency.”
While Trump didn’t name the intern, he referenced the incident as a justification for the intervention.
Tarpinian-Jachym was working as a summer intern in the office of Representative Ron Estes (R–Kansas) at the time of his death.
The case of Naqwan Antonio Lucas marks a troubling escalation in violence against innocent bystanders in Washington, D.C., with the tragic death of intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and the subsequent July 4 killing of Zoey Kelly among the charges.
The fact that the suspects allegedly used a stolen vehicle and opened fire on unrelated targets underscores the unpredictability and severity of the incident. The federal response—highlighted by the President’s mention—reflects the gravity of the situation and the role of coordinated law-enforcement efforts.
As the legal process advances, the pace and nature of charges, evidence presentation (including surveillance video), and how the courts handle the multiple indictments will be closely watched.