Man Suspected In Killing Of UW-Whitewater Gymnast Kara Welsh ID'ed

WHITEWATER, WI — Police identified the man arrested in the deadly shooting of national gymnastics champion Kara Welsh.

Welsh, 21, was shot and killed in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus on Friday.

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.

Police said Welsh and the suspect knew each other and that there had been an altercation between them.

The Walworth County District Attorney’s Office is expected to consider charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed.

Welsh, a native of Plainfield, Illinois, was competing at Whitewater while majoring in business management.

Last year, she won the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships.

"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," UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King said in a statement.

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.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.