A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a national gymnastics champion in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, police said.
Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old student who was majoring in management in the school’s College of Business and Economics, was killed Friday night, Whitewater police said the suspect, a 23-year-old man, was arrested at the scene and is being held at the Walworth County Jail.
Police said they will not be releasing any additional information at this time because this is an active investigation.
University Chancellor Corey King announced Welsh’s death Saturday in a message to students faculty and staff members.
“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community,” King said. “It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve.”
The suspect was taken to Walworth County Jail and booked on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety while armed, and disorderly conduct while armed, police said in a statement, adding that they forwarded these charges to the Walworth County District Attorney’s office.
Richards is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to police. It’s not clear if he has an attorney at this time.
In an earlier statement, the police department said the 23-year-old suspect was present when officers responded to a report of a gunshot victim Friday. A woman, later identified as Welsh, had been shot multiple times and was dead when officers arrived, police said.
“Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two,” police said.
The killing took place on the 100 block of Whitewater Street, about a mile east of the school’s main campus, at a residence listed on a university web page as off-campus housing.
Welsh was a business management major from Plainfield, Illinois, who won an individual national title on the vault for the gymnastics team last year, according to the school.
She was a vault “phenom” who holds four of the eight highest vault scores in team history, the university’s athletic department said in a statement Sunday.
“To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,” coach Jen Regan said. “A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted every one of us in her time as a Warhawk gymnast.”
USA Gymnastics, the governing body for the sport in the U.S., said on X, “We offer our deepest condolences to Kara’s family, friends, and teammates at @UWWGymnastics.”
King said memorial services will be announced when details are available. He noted that flags on campus will fly at half-staff when students, faculty, and staff members return Tuesday, and counseling is available to those who need it.
