A young gymnast and college student died in a fatal weekend shooting in Wisconsin after an altercation with a man, who has been arrested.
Whitewater Police released a statement on Saturday, Aug. 31, and said law enforcement showed up at a residence in response to a report that someone “suffered a gunshot wound” and found one deceased victim in her 20s who died from multiple gunshot wounds. Also present at the scene was a 23-year-old who knew the victim and was arrested and taken to Walworth County Jail and forwarded charges to the county’s District Attorney’s Office, including first-degree intentional homicide.
According to Whitewater Police, the two got into “an altercation” leading up to the shooting death of a 21-year-old woman, later identified as Kara Welsh, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an aspiring gymnast from Plainfield, Illinois.
The male suspect was later identified as 23-year-old Chad T. Richards, who appeared in court on Tuesday, Sep. 3, and the Walworth County Circuit Judge set his bond at $1 million. Richards reportedly attended UW-Whitewater alongside Welsh and remains a student at the university, where he was also an athlete as a member of the wrestling team.
On the same day Richards appeared in court, UW-Whitewater flew its flag half-staff in honor of Welsh, whose death was announced to the student body on Aug. 31 in a statement from university chancellor Corey King. The chancellor said Welsh was “a standout member” of her gymnastics team and that the news of her death was “heartbreaking” for the “close-knit university community.” King called upon the student body and staff to “support one another” during such a difficult time of processing and grief.
USA Gymnastics, America’s national governing body for the sport, posted a statement about the young gymnast and sent condolences to her friends, family, and teammates.
The head gymnastics coach at UW-Whitewater, Jennifer Regan, described Welsh as a “powerful athlete” and a “dedicated teammate” who left a huge impact on her team and community. Welsh was entering her senior year at the university and was studying business management with an emphasis on sports management.
