Kara Welsh University of Wisconcin-Whitewater (UWW) College star gymnast shot and killed at off campus apartment by 23 year old male following altercation. No known motive. Speculation that assailant was jilted boyfriend.
A male suspect has been arrested following the shooting death of a celebrated 21 year old University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast, at her apartment residence, Friday night, just one block from campus.
Kara Welsh, a star gymnast, who won an individual national title on the vault for the gymnastics team last year, was allegedly shot multiple times by a 23-year-old man at an apartment about a block from the university’s main campus Friday just before midnight, police said.
Police have not released the name of the suspect, but they said they believe Welsh knew her assailant. The nature of their relationship was not clear.
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Police said officers arrived just before midnight Friday and found Welsh dead with multiple gunshot wounds. 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.
‘Also present in the apartment was a 23-year-old male who was known to the deceased female,’ a released statement from police stated.
‘Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two.’
The man was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed, police said in another statement.
Welsh of Plainfield, Illinois, was heading into her senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she was majoring in management while also on the school’s Warhawk gymnastics team.
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University Chancellor Corey King announced Welsh’s death Saturday in a message to students and faculty.
‘Kara Welsh, age 21, from Plainfield, Illinois, died in a shooting off campus on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024,’ he wrote.
‘Kara was majoring in management in our College of Business and Economics and was a standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team, winning an individual national title on the vault in 2023.
‘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.’
He added that counseling services will be made available to UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff and that the school’s flag will fly at half-staff in Welsh’s memory Sept. 3, when the fall semester begins.
Welsh’s former teammate Sierra Brooks posting on social media, said she ‘can’t even wrap my head around how someone could do this, let alone to such a beautiful person.
‘No number of pictures or videos can truly capture how much of a joy you were to be around. A person who is consistently kind and supportive, while always putting a smile on your face. What more could you ask for?
‘Thank you for all the years together, Kara. Wish there were plenty more.’
A GoFundMe has been set up to help her parents, Nancy and Tom Welsh, and sister, Kaeli.
‘Kara was a daughter, sister, dear friend and teammate who grew up in Plainfield, Illinois,’ it read.
‘Kara had a unique ability to bring joy to any person she crossed paths with, always putting a smile on people’s faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and sweet disposition.
‘Kara, 21 years old, was excited to be in her rising senior year as a gymnast at UW-Whitewater which was abruptly cut short on August 30th, by a heartless act of violence. We are completely heartbroken for our beloved Welsh family — Nancy, Tom, and Kaeli as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.’
The murder investigation remains ongoing. No known motive was immediately known.
