Gymnast Kara Welsh Dead at 21 After Shooting

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The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater assemblage is successful mourning.

Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old absorption pupil and a subordinate of the school's Warhawk gymnastics team, was fatally changeable successful an flat disconnected field by a antheral she knew, Whitewater Police said. The fishy has been arrested connected suspicion of murder. 

The constabulary said successful a statement that Aug. 30, conscionable earlier midnight, officers arrived connected the country successful effect to a study of a gunshot unfortunate and recovered Welsh deceased with aggregate gunshot wounds.

"Also contiguous successful the flat was a 23-year-old antheral who was known to the deceased female," the connection said. "Through investigation, it was determined that starring up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred betwixt the two."

The man, who was not identified, was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering information by the usage of a unsafe limb and disorderly behaviour portion armed, the constabulary said successful different statement. The probe is ongoing, they added.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King besides released a connection astir Kara pursuing her death.

"Kara Welsh, property 21, from Plainfield, Illinois, died successful a shooting disconnected field connected Friday, Aug. 30, 2024," helium wrote. "Kara was majoring successful absorption successful our College of Business and Economics and was a standout subordinate of the Warhawk gymnastics team, winning an idiosyncratic nationalist rubric connected the vault successful 2023."

He added that counseling services volition beryllium made disposable to UW-Whitewater students, module and unit and that the school's emblem volition alert astatine half-staff successful Welsh's representation Sept. 3, erstwhile the autumn semester begins.

Welsh is survived by her parents, Nancy and Tom Welsh and sister Kaeli. A GoFundMe has been acceptable up to assistance the family.

"Kara was a daughter, sister, beloved person and teammate who grew up successful Plainfield, Illinois," it read. "Kara had a unsocial quality to bring joyousness to immoderate idiosyncratic she crossed paths with, ever putting a grin connected people's faces with her consciousness of humor, unwavering enactment and saccharine disposition."

The leafage continued, "Kara, 21 years old, was excited to beryllium successful her rising elder twelvemonth arsenic a gymnast astatine UW-Whitewater which was abruptly chopped abbreviated connected August 30th, by a heartless enactment of violence. We are wholly heartbroken for our beloved Welsh household — Nancy, Tom, and Kaeli arsenic they navigate this incredibly hard time."