University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh, who won an individual title on the vault event last year, was fatally shot in an apartment near the school's campus on Friday (August 30).
Welsh, 21, of Plainfield, Illinois, was allegedly shot multiple times by a 23-year-old man about a block away from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's main campus, the Whitewater Police Department announced in a statement shared on its website. The suspect, who hasn't yet been publicly identified, is being held in the Walworth County Jail on charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed amid an ongoing investigation, the department confirmed.
“Also present in the apartment was a 23-year-old male who was known to the deceased female,” the statement said. “Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two.”
Welsh was entering her senior year and majoring in management. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chancellor Corey King shared a statement announcing Welsh's death to students and faculty on the school's website.
“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.”