Chad Richards is an accused killer from Wisconsin who has been charged with the murder of gymnast Kara Welsh
According to police reports Chad Richards and Kara Welsh were involved in an altercation outside of her apartment on campus at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater when Richards allegedly shot the award winning gymnast several times causing her death. The pair were known to each other however their relationship has not been made public
Chad Richards would be arrested and has been charged with suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety while armed and disorderly conduct while armed
Kara Welsh was a standout gymnast who won an individual title last year for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she also holds several school records
Chad Richards News
A man has been arrested in the shooting death of a national title-winning University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast near campus, police said.
Whitewater police said Chad T. Richards, a 23-year-old man who knew the victim, shot Kara Welsh, 21, after an altercation at a campus-area apartment late Friday.
Police said they will not be releasing any additional information at this time because this is an active investigation.
University Chancellor Corey King announced Welsh’s death Saturday in a message to students and faculty and staff members.
“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community,” King said. “It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve.”
The suspect was taken to Walworth County Jail and booked on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety while armed and disorderly conduct while armed, police said in a statement, adding that they forwarded these charges to the Walworth County District Attorney’s office.
Richards is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to police. It’s not clear if he has an attorney at this time.
In an earlier statement, the police department said the 23-year-old suspect was present when officers responded to a report of a gunshot victim Friday. A woman, later identified as Welsh, had been shot multiple times and was dead when officers arrived, police said.
“Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two,” police said.
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.
Welsh was a business management major from Plainfield, Illinois, who won an individual national title on the vault for the gymnastics team last year, according to the school.
She was a vault “phenom” who holds four of the eight highest vault scores in team history, the university’s athletic department said in a statement Sunday.
“To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,” coach Jen Regan said in the statement. “A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted each and every one of us up in her time as a Warhawk gymnast.”
USA Gymnastics, the governing body for the sport in the U.S., said on X, “We offer our deepest condolences to Kara’s family, friends and teammates at @UWWGymnastics.”
King said memorial services will be announced when details are available. Flags on campus will fly at half-staff when students and faculty and staff members return Tuesday, and counseling is available to those who need it, he said.
A relative of Walsh’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening.
Whitewater is about 50 miles west-southwest of Milwaukee