The tragic killing of 21-year-old Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym has reignited fury over Washington, D.C.’s out-of-control crime. Eric, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst student interning for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), was fatally shot on 7th Street NW, less than a mile from the White House. A 16-year-old and an adult woman were also shot but survived. No arrests have been made.

Eric’s devastated family is pleading for justice. His mother Tamara warned that “they will do it again” if the shooter isn’t caught. “This is a serious crime. A mile from the White House. This isn’t a joke,” she said. She also referenced another recent horror—a July 4th shooting that killed 3-year-old Honesty Cheadle.

“He was a kind, gentle soul,” Tamara said of her son, who was expected to graduate in 2026. “I don’t know if we’ll ever recover.” His sister Angela echoed the grief, saying the pain will always be with them.

Congressman Estes described Eric as having a “kind heart” and a “cheerful smile,” noting that he was a bright, promising young man who brought warmth to his office. UMass-Amherst is mourning the loss of one of its own.

So far in 2025, D.C. has seen 91 homicides, with Eric being the 85th. The murder took place in a relatively busy, well-trafficked area—not the kind of place where most expect to face sudden violence. That detail, his family says, highlights just how bad things have gotten in the nation’s capital.

President Trump has previously floated the idea of a federal takeover of D.C. to restore law and order. With each headline, that suggestion seems less hypothetical and more like an urgent necessity. “We’re thinking about doing it,” Trump said. “We want a capital that’s run flawlessly. And it wouldn’t be hard for us to do it.”

Trump confirmed that his chief of staff Susie Wiles is already working with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to evaluate solutions. “We’d get the best person to run it,” Trump said. “The crime would be down to a minimal — much less.”

Critics of the city’s leadership say years of lax enforcement and misplaced priorities have turned D.C. into a powder keg. The murder of an intern just blocks from the seat of American power underscores a stunning collapse in public safety.

While Democrat leaders offer few answers, Trump and his allies are leaning into the law-and-order mantle heading into 2026. The intern’s murder may prove to be a tipping point, shifting public sentiment further toward the GOP’s push to reassert federal control over D.C.’s security apparatus.

The Capitol is supposed to be the safest patch of land in America. Instead, it’s now a place where even the best and brightest can fall victim to unchecked violence. That’s a stain on national leadership—and one Trump vows to clean up.