College wrestler charged in shooting death of gymnastics champion, Kara Welsh
On Friday, August 30, at 11:54 p.m., officers with Wisconsin’s Whitewater Police Department responded to apartment #203 at 147 W. Whitewater Street in the City of Whitewater, for a report of an individual who had suffered a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased 21-year-old female who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim in this case has been identified as 21-year-old Kara Welsh of Plainfield, Illinois. Police had previously withheld Kara’s identity during the preliminary stages of their investigation until next of kin could be formally notified. Kara was a champion gymnast attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and she died in her off-campus apartment from those multiple gunshot wounds.
UW-Whitewater’s chancellor described Kara as a “standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team,” according to CNN.
The 21-year-old rising senior from Plainfield, Illinois, won the national title on the vault last year at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship and was majoring in business management, according to the school’s athletic department.
“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community,” Chancellor Corey King wrote Saturday, three days before the first day of classes. “It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve.”
Police said that also present in Kara’s apartment at the time of her shooting was a 23-year-old male who was known to Kara. Through their investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two. The male was detained and later identified to the public as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois.
According to CBS News in Chicago, Richards was ordered held on $1 million bond during his first court appearance on Tuesday in Walworth County, Wisconsin, as the judge in this case ruled him to be a flight risk and a danger to the public. Richards is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and was a college wrestler.
Richards has been charged with the following
- First-Degree Intentional Homicide (Wis. Stat. 940.01(a)),
- Endangering Safety by the Use of a Dangerous Weapon (Wis. Stat. 941.20(1)(c)), and,
- Disorderly Conduct while Armed (Wis. Stat. 947.01).
The Whitewater PD said that their investigation into this case is ongoing, and that no additional details will be provided at this time. Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Whitewater Police Department at 262-473-0555 option #4. Anonymous tips may also be shared using P3Tips.com.
For more on the shooting murder of college gymnast Kara Welsh and the man accused of murdering her, Chad T. Richards, see the video accompanying this article.
–
(Source: Whitewater Police Department)
(Cover photo of Chad T. Richards and Kara Welsh: Image credit, Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
