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Kara Welsh murder: Illinois man accused of killing gymnast near UW-Whitewater

By The Associated Press
Published  September 3, 2024 2:48pm PDT
Wisconsin
Associated Press

Kara Welsh murder: Illinois man expected to be charged in UW-Whitewater gymnast's death

An Illinois man is expected to be charged in the fatal shooting of Kara Welsh, a national gymnastics champion, in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, police said.

The Brief

    • Chad Richards, 23, is expected to be charged in the fatal shooting of standout gymnast Kara Welsh near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus.
    • The incident occurred Friday night, and police say Welsh and Richards knew each other, but the motive remains unclear as the investigation continues.
    • The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is offering counseling and support to students and staff in response to the tragedy.

WHITEWATER, Wis. - An Illinois man is expected to be charged in the fatal shooting of Kara Welsh, a national gymnastics champion, in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, police said.

Welsh, a 21-year-old student from Plainfield, was killed Friday night, Whitewater police said. 

On Tuesday, the Whitewater Police Department forwarded the following charges for Chad Richards, 23, to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office: First-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed.

Richards, of Love's Park, Illinois, was arrested at the scene of the shooting Friday.

In a news release posted online Saturday, police did not describe what led to the shooting, except to say that Welsh and the suspect knew each other and that there had been an altercation between the two.

Photo of Chad Richards. This mugshot was previously taken and was not from Richards' arrest on Friday, according to Whitewater police

The investigation is ongoing and police have released no additional information.

Welsh was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team and last year she took the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships, the university said in a statement.

"We know the news of Kara's death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community. It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve," UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King said. The campus is about 50 miles west of Milwaukee.

The university is offering counseling to the school's gymnastics team and coaches. School staff planned to provide extra support and flexibility to students Tuesday ahead of the start of classes. 

"Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of one of our own," the school's gymnastics team said on Facebook.

Kara Welsh