Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared on Fox News Friday and announced a major breakthrough in the murder case of the young Washington, D.C. intern who was fatally shot just a mile from the White House on June 30.
A gunman shot and killed Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, a University of Massachusetts Amherst student interning for Republican Kansas Rep. Ron Estes, near the Mount Vernon Square Metro Station on June 30. Bondi said on “Hannity” that federal and local law enforcement arrested two juvenile suspects who will be charged as adults.
“They made an arrest, thanks to the FBI. Kash Patel did incredible work since June 30 when this happened [and] arrested two juveniles. They’re 17. They will be charged as adults,” Bondi told host Sean Hannity.
Bondi used the moment to highlight a broader law enforcement initiative she said was launched under President Donald Trump’s directive.
WATCH:
“This was horrific, and that’s why we had to make D.C. safe again. That was President Trump’s directive. There have been over 1900 arrests since we’ve started taking D.C. back and making it safe,” Bondi added.
Bondi said the wave of arrests and gun seizures across Washington, D.C. proves the city’s crime crisis is being brought under control.
“Over 198 guns have been taken off the street. Just last night, 10 more guns and 73 arrests were made in D.C. That shows how prevalent it has been and what a difference that’s being made right now in our nation’s capital. And not only that, President Trump wants to make it beautiful again and especially make it safe. That’s what’s been so important. These families should never have to go through what Eric’s family is going through,” Bondi said.
Local media reported that authorities charged two unidentified 17-year-olds as adults in the June shooting that killed Tarpinian-Jachym with a stray bullet. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro reportedly pointed to the suspects’ criminal histories as evidence of what she called D.C.’s dangerously lenient juvenile crime laws.
Trump cited juvenile crime as a major driver of violence in Washington, D.C. before launching a federal law enforcement crackdown across the city in August. Since then, he has deployed additional federal agents, taken operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department, and stationed National Guard troops in key public areas.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].