College Gymnast From Plainfield Fatally Shot In Wisconsin: Police

PLAINFIELD, IL — A decorated college gymnast from Plainfield was fatally shot Aug. 30 at an off-campus apartment in Whitewater, Wisconsin, according to local police, who are investigating her death as a homicide.

Whitewater police identified the woman as Kara Welsh, 21. A graduate of Plainfield Central High School, Welsh was a senior majoring in business management at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Last year, she won the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships.

"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," reads the description of a GoFundMe campaign set up to help her family.

Detectives determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation occurred between the woman and a 23-year-old man at 147 W. Whitewater St. before Welsh sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

The Whitewater Police Department identified the suspect as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday at Walworth County Courthouse.

Richards was detained following the incident and confined in the Walworth County Jail, according to a news release. He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed, police said.

The UW-Whitewater website lists Richards as a wrestler for the university during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

"[The Welsh family] will surely have so much to endure in the near future, and we would like to help ease the financial burden during this period of grief, planning and travel that will surely be necessary," the GoFundMe's organizer wrote.

In a statement following the fatal shooting, UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King said, "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."

King also directed that the school flag fly at half-staff on Sept. 3 in Welsh's memory.

The university is offering counseling to the school’s gymnastics team and coaches, and the school staff plans to provide extra support to students. "Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of one of our own," the UW-Whitewater gymnastics team said on Facebook.

Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 also issued the following statement about the 2021 alumna:

Plainfield School District 202 is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Kara Welsh, a 2021 Plainfield High School-Central Campus graduate, this weekend.

The entire Plainfield 202 community extends its deepest condolences to the Welsh family and friends during this time of unimaginable sorrow.

"The Plainfield 202 community is deeply saddened by the loss of Kara Welsh was not only a great student-athlete but an outstanding person who exemplified the best of Plainfield," said Superintendent of Schools Dr Glenn Wood. "She was a remarkable individual who touched the lives of so many in our community."