Stolen Honda Search Yields Gun: D.C. Police Recover Weapon from 2025 Intern Shooting

U.S. Park Police officers pulled over a stolen Honda on North Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Oct. 21, 2026. Inside the vehicle, officers located two 9mm handguns equipped with extended magazines and giggle switches. These devices allow the pistols to fire automatically. The discovery marks the first time investigators have secured physical firearms connected to the June 2025 killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.

Before this recovery, D.C. Police had arrested three suspects but had not found any of the weapons used in the attack. The three men involved in the shooting fired a total of 79 rounds. Two of them carried rifles, while the third wielded a 9mm pistol. Prosecutors stated in a letter to defense attorneys that they will perform DNA testing on the recovered gun, magazines, and bullets. The goal is to determine if the new evidence links to any of the suspects currently facing murder charges.

The suspects in the 2025 shooting are Kelvin Thomas Jr. and brothers Naqwan and Jailen Lucas. D.C. Police have charged all three with first-degree murder. The letter from prosecutors was sent to the attorneys representing the men who are awaiting trial. The U.S. attorney’s office confirmed that the recovered weapon is now part of an active investigation but declined to provide further details.

The three individuals arrested in connection with the stolen car last week are ages 18, 17, and 16, according to Park Police. One of them has been charged as an adult, while the other two are being processed as juveniles. This separate arrest group is distinct from the three men charged with the 2025 murder.

Eric’s mother, Tamarra Tarpinian-Jachym, spoke in court about the emotional impact of the news. She noted that her son’s birthday was Wednesday, Oct. 28. She described feeling shocked and overwhelmed by the filing in court. Tarpinian-Jachym told News4 that at least two more illegal guns are now off the street and cannot harm anyone.

She recalled that her son was shot at 10:28 on his birthday. She mentioned that his father bought him a Dunkin' refresher that day. The drink, along with a butter crunch donut he loved, still sits on their dining room table. She said she does not want people to forget that specific time and date.

News4 contacted the attorneys for Kelvin Thomas Jr. and the Lucas brothers. Only one attorney responded to the inquiry. That attorney said no comment.

The two recovered 9mm handguns were found in the same vehicle that contained the three teenagers arrested on Oct. 21. The police confirmed that both weapons had the mechanical modifications that enable full-auto fire.