Flags flew at half-staff on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus Tuesday in memory of senior gymnast Carla Welsh, who was shot and killed in her apartment Friday evening.
Welsh, 21, is a national champion and two-time All-American, according to a university statement. The Whitewater Police Department said in a news release that Welsh was found by police with multiple gunshot wounds. Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois, was also found in the apartment and arrested.
“Words cannot express the impact Kara has had on the Warhawk community,” head coach Jen Regan said in a statement posted on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athletics website. “A strong athlete, a dedicated teammate and a light on everyone's dark days, Kara truly uplifted each and every one of us as Warhawk gymnasts. Words cannot express the emptiness we all feel in our hearts, but Kara's legacy will live on forever through Warhawk gymnastics.”
Authorities said Welsh and Richards knew each other and that investigators determined “there was an altercation between the two.” Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the two.
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Kara Welsh, 21, was a senior on the gymnastics team at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater)
The Whitewater Police Department has identified the suspect in the murder of Kara Welsh as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois. (Whitewater Police Department)
Police have referred charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace while armed to the Walworth County District Attorney's Office. Richards is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, police said.
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Welsh, from Plainfield, Ill., was studying business administration. Fall classes began on Tuesday.
A news release on the school's track and field website described Welsh as a “phenom on the vault” and noted that she holds four of the top eight scores ever recorded by a Warhawk athlete in program history.
A memorial to Kara Welsh has been erected in her hometown of Plainfield, Illinois. (WFLD)
Police at the scene of the murder of Kara Welsh in Whitewater, Wisconsin. (WKOW)
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As of Tuesday morning, GoFundMe A campaign for the Welsh family, promoted by the school's athletic department, raised more than $34,000.
